Digimon Adventure Episode 2: Attack of the Emperor
by MadDogLucario96
Summary: Three years after the Destined Jedi saved the Digital World, it devolved into civil war. From the chaos, a new leader emerged: the Digimon Emperor, who rules with an iron fist. With new friends, can the Destined Jedi save the day again? Second story in the Destined Jedi series. Rated T for language, violence, much darker than normal 02 stuff, death, etc. Possible pairings later ;-)
1. The Digimon Emperor

**Welcome one, welcome all! The long-anticipated sequel to Destined Jedi is finally here! Welcome...to Attack of the Emperor. I'm going to say right off the bat that this will be the "Empire Strikes Back" of the Destined Jedi series. It's going to be dark in many places with quite a few changes from what 02 gave us. I'm sure you guys are going to be bowled over by what I've worked out and planned over these last few months. **

**I'm now moving into my apartment to begin the next chapter of my life. Writing is still on the high end of my list of priorities, so I will make sure to balance everything out for you guys so you can enjoy this story when you expect to. I'll once again be updating every Saturday, so you can expect updates every time on that. Got back from Japan recently, and I went to Odaiba! That will come in handy when describing places in Odaiba for you guys going down the road. **

**Enough of my introduction, let's get this show on the ****road! Cue the opening theme!**

* * *

**(Star Wars opening theme)**

_**Digimon Adventure**_

_**Episode II**_

_**Attack of the Emperor**_

_**Darkness has returned to the Digital World. After the Destined Jedi saved it three years ago, order quickly fell apart. With no one to maintain the balance in the Force, civil war broke out. **_

_**The struggle resulted in two sides battling into a stalemate. After two and a half years of war, no progress was made on either side. It looked like they would be at war forever.**_

_**From this deadlock, a new force would rise: a Destined Jedi who calls himself the Digimon Emperor. The Emperor seized control with hardly any resistance and now rules the Digital World with an iron fist…**_

* * *

Darkness blanketed the world in black as far as the eye could see. It was the middle of the day, but the way the tightly packed clouds hovered made it seem night had come early. Like the black shadow of Mordor, it blocked out any sunlight from getting through to the land below.

From his perch atop the jagged Akagi mountain range, a boy smiled wickedly. His wild navy blue hair blew all directions in the wind, and his dark violet eyes glimmered darkly behind tinted sunglasses. He was no more than eleven, but had single-handedly become the ruler of the entire Digital World. His human identity did not matter, for he went by a different name in this world: The Digimon Emperor.

A dark navy cape outlined in yellow flowed from his thin shoulders over his equally navy and white jumpsuit. A whip and lightsaber hung on the belt around his waist and black gauntlets adorned his hands. The sight of him was frightening to any Digimon that was unfortunate to cross his path.

The Emperor stretched out his hand and watched below him as several floating collars shot through the forest. Several creatures ran, desperate to escape the flying objects before they could be captured by one of them. Some were fortunate to escape. Others, not so much.

A collar latched itself onto a canine-like creature known as a Gazimon. The mammal Digimon shrieked in surprise as the device attached itself to its neck, but quickly fell silent. It stood up from the ground mindlessly, its eyes glowing blood red.

A Digimon completely made of rock named Gotsumon, and a unicorn-like Digimon named Unimon also fell under the control of these collars. They all stared blankly as more collars flew deeper into the forest, looking for more Digimon to enslave.

The Emperor's smirk grew wider. "Yes, run, run, run as fast as you can. You can't escape me. I'm the Digimon Emperor!" he snickered. "You insects will all fall under the control of my Dark Rings and like it."

The Emperor was so absorbed in watching as his Dark Rings enslaved even more Digimon, he didn't notice that a motley crew of Digimon were watching from the ridge above him.

A small Tyrannosaurus Rex Digimon peeked out from behind the entrance to a large cave to get a look at the boy below him. The Emperor's maniacal laugh sent shivers down his spine when it echoed across the mountainside. The dinosaur was orange in color with striking green eyes and was known throughout the land as the Digimon of Courage.

"What's he doing now, Agumon?" a seal-like Digimon named Gomamon asked in a hushed voice.

The dinosaur didn't glance at him. "He's using his Dark Rings to enslave more Digimon again," it replied.

The other Digimon gasped in a low tone.

"This is horrible!" a maroon-colored ladybug Digimon named Tentomon exclaimed. "He does this every single time after he has had his fun with whatever Digimon he catches."

"How long are we going to let this go on?" a wolf Digimon named Gabumon said. "We have to do something."

"If we do something, then he'll catch us with those rings," said Gatomon, a white cat with yellow green gloves on her paws and purple on the tips of her ears and tail. "We're helpless to do anything about it."

"There has to be a way," said Biyomon, a pink bird with blue tipped on the feathers on her head. The thought crossed her mind. "Why don't we call the Destined Jedi to come and help us?"

The group of Digimon fell silent in nostalgia. It had been three years since they had last seen the group of children that were brought to save the Digital World. The Digimon served as their guides and would give wisdom in times of trouble for them. Unfortunately, the children lost their connection to the Force, and the creatures were unable to reach out to them.

"I wish we could, Biyomon," said Agumon. "But we can't contact them, remember?"

The smallest of the group, a guinea pig with bat wings for ears named Patamon, finally stepped forward to speak. "It's worth a try. Since we can't do this ourselves, why don't we ask them for help?" it said. "I would love to see TK again."

"And Mimi too!" said Palmon, a plant-like Digimon that served as the Digimon of Sincerity. "I miss her so much."

Everyone looked at Agumon for what his answer would be. The dinosaur looked down to the still-cackling Emperor below and back again to his friends. It may have seemed impossible, but there was no other alternative in the face of the dire circumstances before them.

"Okay, we'll try it," he said. "We must move quickly though. Find a way to reach out to the Destined Jedi. We'll need their help once more."

Before any of the Digimon could move a muscle, another presence made itself known to them in the form of a subtle light from the crystals inside the cave. Once it faded, an old man stood before them outlined in blue. The creatures gasped in awe.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," said the man. "But the Destined Jedi as you know them cannot help you."

The group of Digimon's once-hopeful faces fell crestfallen.

"What do you mean, Gennai?" Gabumon asked fearfully. "Are you saying that there's nothing we can do?"

Gennai chuckled. "No, not at all. I have been in contact with Homeostasis, and it has agreed to reform the Destined Jedi." After a brief pause, he added, "But with new Jedi."

"New Jedi?" the Digimon hoarsely shouted, not wanting the Emperor to hear them.

"Yes. And we already have the perfect candidates in mind. Don't worry, you'll still see the familiar faces. Now, go swiftly, my friends. May the Force be with you."

* * *

Two lightsabers clashed before locking together. The two wielders used all their strength to push against each other in hopes of gaining an advantage. The bright blue color of the blades illuminated their faces, which were inches from each other.

Tai Kamiya squinted his eyes to keep the sparks from the blades out of them. He was now a young man of thirteen, and had grown taller over the three years since he and his friends went on the adventure of a lifetime in the summer of 1999. He would turn fourteen on May 19th. His face had lost some of the baby fat it once had, reflecting his transition into young adulthood. But some things never changed: he was still the loyal, responsible, and hardheaded former leader of the Destined Jedi. His large mop of brown hair was still as messy and bushy as ever, and his warm brown eyes glowed with life. Resting atop his forehead were his iconic aviation goggles.

Tai gritted his teeth as he and his opponent had now reached a stalemate. He had to do something to regain the advantage.

His opponent, however, was one step ahead of him as she mustered the strength to force their sabers to the side. With this advantage, the girl backhanded him across the jaw with a closed fist. Tai reeled back a few feet on the balcony with his hand against his jaw.

The two traded several more strikes, with neither one gaining an edge on the other. Tai thanked his lucky stars that he had kept up with his saber techniques over the years, otherwise he would be getting hammered right now.

He went for a swift strike that would knock his opponent's saber out of their hand, but she had telegraphed it and ducked to avoid it. The girl tied his saber-wielding hand up with hers before pumping her elbow back into his ribs as hard as she could.

Tai groaned in pain and stumbled back. He clutched his side as he could hardly breathe and fell to the ground.

"Okay, that's enough," he gasped as he deactivated his lightsaber. "Good one, Kari. Let's stop here."

"Aw, no fair!" his younger sister cried in protest. "I take one little advantage in the battle and you want to give up?"

"Your elbow packs quite the punch. You sure you haven't been doing anything to help that?"

After several sharp breaths, despite the pain in his ribs, Tai finally got his breath back and gazed up at Kari. She had certainly sprouted up from that little girl he always saw in his mind's eye.

Kari was eleven now and would be starting fifth grade today while he was starting eighth grade. She looked more and more like her mother every day and was almost as tall as Tai at the rate she was growing. Her hair was still short, but framed her face now with a red beret on the left side. Her reddish-brown eyes still showed an innocent spark that had not left yet. Tai hoped it would never leave.

She wore a pink and white sleeveless top with long pink gloves that went to the middle of her arms and khaki shorts with a black belt looped around it. Kari hooked her lightsaber to it before helping her brother up. She also had a small Nikon camera hanging around her neck.

The two siblings heard the sliding door open next to them and looked over to see their mother peeking her head out.

"Hurry up and get ready to go, kids," said Mrs. Kamiya. "You both don't want to be late on your first day of school."

"Okay, Mom," Tai and Kari replied as they walked back inside.

Tai went to his room to put on his school uniform. It consisted of a dark green jacket like the one that was given to the winner of the Masters golf tournament, a white dress shirt, and green pants. Tai didn't like green, but it was something he had to live with. It was only for two more years, including this one, but hopefully the high school uniforms were a better color than these.

After putting on his uniform, he hooked his lightsaber onto his belt and pocketed a device that from first glance looked like a Game Boy Advance. The screen had a cover that would flip up to reveal it when the user needed it. The device was called a D-Terminal, and was invented by Tai's fellow Jedi, Izzy Izumi for all the Destined Jedi to stay in contact with each other.

Tai walked into the family room for breakfast: rice, salmon sashimi, and miso soup along with some orange juice. He and Kari finished breakfast quickly before heading to the genkan to put their shoes on and go out.

"Bye, Mom!" they cried as they left the apartment.

* * *

Just down the road from the Kamiya apartment, Takeru Takaishi, known to his friends and family as TK, was finishing up his breakfast: a bowl of miso soup and rice. Nothing too special.

TK had grown tall over these last three years, sprouting like a weed until he was as tall as his mother. His blonde hair, which he shared with his brother Matt and his mother, had grown shaggier underneath his bucket hat. His bright blue eyes were full of life and wisdom from what he experienced three years ago in the Digital World as a small eight-year-old boy.

TK finished his breakfast and carried his dishes to the kitchen. He washed them out and put them in the dishwasher. Today was his first day of school and he had to get going.

He and his mother, Nancy, had just moved in to their new apartment in Odaiba yesterday. Ever since she and TK's father got divorced eight years ago, they had been living in Sangenjaya, two train stops down from Shibuya. His mother's job as a reporter had gotten her transferred to Odaiba. TK couldn't believe his luck: he finally got to be closer to Matt and all the other Destined Jedi. He had told Matt and his father about the transfer, but he said not to tell any of the other Jedi because he wanted it to be a surprise.

"See you later, Mom!" he cried. "I'm going!"

"Have a good day, sweetheart," Nancy called back from her office. "Sorry I can't take you to school on your first day, but I have to get this article done. The editor will have my head if I don't get it done in time."

TK shrugged. He totally understood why she couldn't do it. It wasn't like he was going to beg her to anyway. If his adventures in the Digital World proved anything, it was that he could take care of himself just fine. He killed two of the Destined Jedi's toughest opponents and outsmarted another one.

"That's okay," he said, walking into the office. He planted a kiss on her cheek, which she returned.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

TK slipped his shoes on in the genkan and grabbed his backpack before heading out the door. The crisp cool air of an early April morning tickled his face as he walked outside. It was a slightly overcast day, but TK wasn't complaining. He was in much too happy a mood to care about it.

He reached the elevator and pressed 'down'. He didn't have to wait long for the elevator to reach his floor because it was only a second later that the doors opened. Inside were two children: a girl who looked older than him, twelve most likely, and a boy who was obviously younger.

"Hi there," TK greeted them with a smile as he stepped inside. "How are you?"

"Fine thanks," said the girl. Her violet hair fell past her shoulders and was covered slightly by a blue bandana. She wore big round glasses over her brown eyes, a pink shirt over a long-sleeved red shirt, and purple shorts with a pair of orange shoes. "How are you?"

"Great," replied TK. "I'm TK. My mom and I just moved in to the building. I'll be starting fifth grade today."

The girl shook his hand. "Hi, TK. I'm Yolei Inoue," she introduced herself. "I live a couple floors above you and I'm starting sixth grade today. Want to walk to school with us?"

"Sure."

Once she got a good look at him, Yolei licked her front teeth like a cheetah sizing up its prey. "I must say, you're kinda cute, TK."

TK scratched the back of his neck, letting out a nervous chuckle.

The smaller boy beside Yolei cleared his throat to make it known that he was still there and hadn't been introduced. The girl took the hint.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, gesturing to the boy. "This is Cody. He lives a couple apartments down from me."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, TK," the nine-year-old boy bowed respectfully at TK. "Let me be the first to formally say welcome to the building."

"Thank you," the blonde boy nodded his head in return. "Pleasure to meet you too, Cody."

TK had to restrain himself from laughing at how much the boy looked like Koenma from _Yu Yu Hakusho _with how his face was shaped and the bowl cut his brown hair was styled. The only difference was Cody's eyes were green and displayed maturity beyond his years. His style of clothing was also very simple: a long sleeved purple shirt, grey pants, and brown shoes.

The elevator reached the bottom floor quickly and the three children wandered out into the cool, overcast morning to walk to school. Conversation was kept to a minimum as TK walked behind Yolei and Cody. He preferred to silently observe people he just met in order to gain an impression of them.

"Will you come and fix my computer after school, Yolei?" asked Cody.

"Sure," Yolei nodded. "But only if your mom makes some ohagi for me."

"I'll text her in a bit and tell her to get some ready."

"You've got it. Perfecto!"

It took twelve minutes for them to reach the Odaiba School grounds. The complex consisted of both an elementary school and middle school due to the limited space on the man-made island. TK had heard from Matt that he and the other older Destined Jedi, except for Joe Kido, would be attending the middle school.

His eyes spotted a flash of reflecting light near the soccer field. A group of eight boys were playing a pick-up game of soccer. One of them caught TK's eye. For a minute, he thought he was looking at Tai from three years ago until his vision cleared. He was actually looking at a boy around the same age as him with goggles on top of his head, but that was where all similarities to Tai ended. The boy had dark burgundy hair, wild brown eyes, dark tan skin, and was a tad shorter than TK. His clothing consisted of a long-sleeved navy blue shirt with a large white stripe across the middle that had 'St. Louis Blues' imprinted on it. Over the shirt was a light blue over-shirt, and he also wore brown khaki shorts.

"Here ya go, Davis!" cried one of the players as the ball came sailing towards the boy. It was over his head, but he knocked it away before it could hit anything. The ball flew towards TK, who caught it without blinking.

"Thanks," said the boy as he came over to TK. "Great catch, kid. You really did us a favor by doing that."

"It's no trouble," TK smiled before finally getting a good look at him. The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, which was starting to creep Davis out. Before anything else could happen, TK threw the ball into his chest. Davis nearly dropped it in surprise.

"You look familiar," TK said. "Must be the goggles I guess. See ya."

Davis continued staring at the boy as he walked away. Had he met this kid somewhere before? He didn't have a good memory to begin with, so he wouldn't have remembered even if he did.

"Hey, Davis! You're holding up the game, pal!" one of his friends shouted.

"Sorry!" Davis returned before kicking the ball back in play so they could resume their game.

* * *

The warning bell sounded throughout the school grounds around eight o'clock. Students halted what they were doing and walked to their classes. Davis was one of them, but he couldn't stop thinking about that encounter he had with the blonde-haired boy earlier.

He walked into Class 5-A, and was greeted by the most wonderful sight. A bright smile inched up his face as he saw Kari Kamiya setting her things down at her desk. He quickly took the desk beside her before anyone else could. To say that he had a bit of a crush on Kari was the understatement of the still-new millennium. The two of them had known each other since third grade when they were in the same class together. Kari's brother Tai was also in the same soccer club as him. He thought Tai was the coolest person to ever walk the earth, and quickly grew attached to him.

"What luck," he said. "You and I are in the same class again, Kari."

Kari turned and gave him a friendly smile, with a bit of teasing underlying it. "I wouldn't call it luck," she said. "I believe that things happen for a reason. It's nice to see you again, Davis."

"Yeah, same here. Hey, this new kid said that I reminded him of somebody."

"Oh, really?" she asked. "What did he look like?"

"Blonde, kinda tall, wears a bucket hat," Davis replied.

The 'blonde' part caught Kari's attention. The only people with blonde hair that she knew were Matt and…Her eyes widened in shock. It couldn't be. Her heart pounded with excitement.

The door to the classroom slid open and their teacher walked in, a man in his mid-forties with dark hair that looked navy blue and was starting to thin out. His face was beginning to show signs of wrinkles.

"Good morning, students," he said. "I'm Mr. Hamasaki and I will be your homeroom teacher this year. What better way to start the new school year than the chance to meet a new friend?" He turned to the door. "You may come in now."

The door slid open. Kari and Davis gasped loudly as TK walked inside and stood at the board. The teacher wrote the kanji symbols of his name onto it.

"That's him," Davis whispered.

"This is Takeru Takaishi, and he is transferring from Sangenjaya," said Mr. Hamasaki. "I would encourage you all to help him feel welcomed at our school."

"Please, call me TK," said TK as he bowed before the class. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope we can be friends."

"Well, we're happy to have you, TK," Mr. Hamasaki smiled. "Please take the open desk next to Ms. Kamiya."

Davis watched as TK settled in beside Kari. He gasped in shock as they started chatting it up like old friends.

"Together again," TK smiled. "Just like old times, eh Kari?"

"You bet," Kari smiled back at him, which earned Davis' ire. "It's nice to see you again, TK."

Davis' hand clenched into a fist of pure anger. How did this kid know Kari so well? He thought he was the only one who knew Kari for a long time. What was going on here? He was so distracted that he didn't hear TK say something that Kari giggled at.

This was not going to go unpunished if he had anything to say about it.

* * *

Tai splashed some water on his face while washing his hands after using the bathroom. His first day of classes was over and he was ready to go home for the day. He had gotten the chance to see several of his friends like Matt, Sora, Izzy, and even Mimi. Sora was in his class with him, while Matt was in another. Izzy and Mimi were in seventh grade. It felt great to have the whole gang around once again.

A call of his name stopped him as went to dry his hands. Tai looked around the lavatory to see who had called to him.

"Hello?" he called. "Who's there?"

"Right here, Tai," said the voice, which sounded awfully familiar.

"Agumon?" Tai's eyes widened when he recognized the voice. "Where are you? How did you get here?"

"Right in front of you."

Tai looked at the mirror in front of him and nearly screamed when he saw Agumon's face appear where his would normally be. The boy fell to the ground from the shock and backed up into a cubicle.

"Surprise," the dinosaur chuckled. "Did I scare you?"

"Yes, you did," Tai replied, his face pale from shock. He grabbed the cubicle door to help him stand up. "What are you doing here? I thought you and the other guardians couldn't contact us anymore since our connection to the Force was severed."

"We can't," said Agumon. "But I had to find a way to reach you somehow. Things are bad here in the Digital World. We need you right now."

Tai's eyes widened. "But how can I get there? I can't use the Force anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

That didn't stop Agumon though. "Like this," he said as he reached out through the bathroom mirror and pulled Tai into it. Rather than hitting his face like he expected, Tai passed through it like he was Alice.

* * *

He now found himself in the middle of a forest quite similar to the one he and his friends had first appeared in when they first were summoned to the Digital World. The trees glowed with lush green and the foliage grew thick, but the sky was black as night.

Tai looked down and saw he was wearing his old orange yukata. The symbol of Courage was woven into the fabric and a bright blue obi was tied around his waist. Underneath his yukata, he wore a white tunic. Wooden sandals adorned his feet.

"I can't believe this thing still fits me," he remarked, feeling up and down the sleeves and seams. The yukata fit like a glove.

"Glad to be back?" Agumon asked as he appeared next to Tai.

The boy gazed in awe at the world around him. "I never thought I would be back here again," he said. Then he snapped out of his stupor. "Now, what's the problem? Things look fine to me."

"Follow me," Agumon ordered before he took off running, with Tai following right behind him.

Suddenly, two collars came flying towards the dinosaur. He cowered in fear as they came closer, but Tai activated his lightsaber and slashed them to pieces.

"What were those things?" he asked.

"I'll explain later," said Agumon. "Right now, we need to get into this cave here. Come on."

The two resumed running, this time much faster for fear that they would run into yet another of those collars. After a few more yards, they finally reached a cave that went deep into the nearby cliff. The front of the cave was dark, but light emerged as the two ventured further along.

"Okay, will you tell me now what is happening, Agumon?"

"I'll try the best I can," said the dinosaur. "It was not long after you guys left. Everything devolved into chaos and for two and a half years, the entire Digital World was at war with each other."

Tai was shocked to hear this. Why was it that whenever they left the Digital World, everything goes wrong? When they went back to their world to stop a Digimon named Myotismon from destroying the eighth Destined Jedi, who turned out to be Kari, a group of Digimon called the Dark Masters took over the Digital World in their absence.

"Did the Dark Masters come back somehow?" he asked, worried that he may have to face them again. The Jedi destroyed them once, but it took everything they had to do it.

Agumon shook his head. "No. Thankfully. Something much worse than that: this human that calls himself the Digimon Emperor."

"Digimon Emperor?"

"Yes. He came in like an evil flood three months ago and took power from the warring factions. The entire Digital World has been under his thumb ever since. He uses those collars that we saw to control Digimon and use them for whatever purpose he desires."

Tai was horrified. Was there another Destined Jedi that he and the others didn't know about? If so, how could Gennai have not told them about it? Maybe they could have stopped this before it began. Tai's head was swirling with confusion.

"How do we stop this guy?" he asked.

"That's for you to figure out," said Agumon. "My task was just to bring you to the Digital World and I've done it. I'll be around if you need me. May the Force be with you, Tai."

"Agumon –" Tai began to say, but the dinosaur vanished before he could press any further. He groaned in aggravation. It was just like them to explain what had happened and then take off. Now what was he supposed to do?

The first thing he thought of was to call in some backup. Tai quickly pulled out his D-Terminal and typed a message. Once it was finished, he sent it off to Izzy.

* * *

TK walked into the front hall of the school to go to his locker. He was about to take off his school slippers and put his regular shoes on when Kari came in beside him.

"Why didn't you tell us that you were moving here?" she asked.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," TK explained. "Had to buy Matt's silence in order to get him to stay quiet about it." He eyed the girl up and down. "You've grown up, Kari."

"So have you. But you'll always be that little boy I knew during our adventures to me," Kari laughed. "So how's your mom liking the new place?"

"She's been so busy that she hasn't had a chance to see it."

The two were interrupted when Davis came storming in with his eyes ablaze. He glared directly at the blonde-haired boy with the bucket hat on his head with the intent to kill.

"Hey, buddy!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "You've got some explaining to do!"

Kari glared right back at Davis. "His name's not 'buddy', Davis. It's TK."

"Whatever!" the boy raged. "How do you know Kari, kid?"

TK was surprised at the boy's attitude. Suddenly, it clicked, and he let out a laugh. "I see what's going on here. You're jealous of me. You're too funny, Davis. A real laugh."

Davis' fists shook as he prepared to charge right at the boy and show him who the joke was. Before he could do that though, a girl with lavender hair came barging in with a piece of paper in her hand.

"Excuse me," she said to Kari. "But are you Kari Kamiya by any chance?"

Kari nodded. "That's right. Who are you?"

"Hey, Yolei," greeted TK. "What's going on?"

Yolei ignored the greeting and instead showed the piece of paper she had been holding to Kari.

"You got a message from a Tai Kamiya," she explained. "Are you related to him somehow?"

Kari nodded. "Yes, he's my brother," she said as she read the message.

_Come to the Digital World right away. The Digimon need our help. _

Her face paled considerably after she read it. Something was definitely amiss, and she needed to find a way to help. But how did Tai get into the Digital World in the first place? Ever since they gave up their connection to the Force, the group had not been able to go back. But that wasn't important right now. What mattered was finding a way to go there and help Tai.

"Come on!" she said, pulling TK along as they ran back inside the school. Davis and Yolei gave chase in order to find out more about what they were talking about.

As they turned down a hallway, TK and Kari were happy to see a familiar face running towards them. Izzy Izumi, now a handsome boy of thirteen, halted in his tracks as he finished climbing up the stairs. His once spiky red hair had been cut down to a clean mop of hair, and he wore the middle school uniform with a blue tie.

"TK! Kari!" the former Jedi of Knowledge greeted with a friendly smile.

"Izzy! Good to see you!" TK returned the greeting. "Did you get that message too?"

Izzy nodded. "Yes I did. I think I may have found a way that we can reach the Digital World. Follow me."

The rest of the group followed, though Yolei and Davis were demanding explanations for what was going on. The three former Destined Jedi did not heed their requests as they continued running until they reached a computer lab.

Izzy rushed to a computer in the middle of the room and began typing away. Someone must have already been on the computer because he didn't need to get it started.

"I was going to send a reply to Tai when the battery on my D-Terminal went out. I should have recharged it last night, but I was so tired from doing work that I went straight to sleep," he said as he finished the message and clicked the mouse. "And sent."

Yolei couldn't stand being ignored any longer.

"CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON?!" she yelled.

The room was deathly silent for a minute. Yolei was normally sweet, but she had a short fuse that was ready to blow in an instant. Izzy had the unfortunate honor of witnessing it first-hand when the two of them had been in the elementary school computer club together.

"What's the Digital World?" she asked. "Is that some kind of new amusement park or something?"

Davis perked up. "You know, Tai mentioned that to me once. He said there were a lot of these creatures called Digimon there, whatever they are."

"You know Tai?" asked TK.

Davis puffed his chest in pride. "Yeah. He and I are in the same soccer club together. He taught me everything he knew and considers me next in line to take over the role of captain."

Kari giggled. "And yet you guys didn't even make the city playoffs last year."

Davis' face burned red in embarrassment as TK joined Kari in her mirth.

"Then let's go!" exclaimed Yolei.

At that moment, Cody peeked inside. He had been walking to his locker when he passed the computer lab and overheard the conversation. The sight of Yolei forced him to stop.

"Yolei, weren't you going to fix my computer?" he asked. "You promised!"

The girl gasped in realization, forgetting that she promised to do that in all the excitement. "You're right, Cody. I'm sorry. Let's go."

The two walked out, leaving the three former Destined Jedi and Davis.

* * *

Tai felt his D-Terminal buzz after wandering into the cave a few feet, heading straight for the light that he saw earlier. He flipped the cover on the screen up to see the message. It was from Izzy.

'_On our way, Tai. Kari and TK are with me.' _

He sighed in relief, knowing that help was on the way, before continuing his progress in the cave. The air swirled hauntingly, like a ghost moaning out to the outside world it was there, and water dripped from the roof of the cave. All of this reminded Tai of the time Gennai sent him into the cave during the beginning of their training to learn how to be patient.

"Well, well," a snide voice snickered from all directions. "Tai Kamiya, we meet at last."

Tai jumped after being startled by the voice. He drew his lightsaber with a flash and snapped his head around to look for the sound of the voice.

"Who are you?" he said. "How do you know me?"

"I know all about you and your little friends," said the voice. "You could say I have an…_acute _interest in you all and the events from three years ago. Especially your sister."

Tai's blood boiled as a Joker-esque laugh echoed deep into the cave.

"Where are you, you little creep?" he roared as he ran, desperate to search for the source of the annoying presence that was clearly taunting him.

'_Twas brillig, and the slivy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe_," it sang joyfully while slowly fading away. "_All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe_."

Tai felt a chill go down his spine as the voice maniacally cackled after quoting the first and last stanza from the Jabberwocky. Whoever this mysterious person was, they sure had a love of poetry in the twisted sense.

The voice had now gone, and the cave fell silent once more. Tai continued on until he reached a wide corridor. Light poured in from the opening above, shining down on the far wall.

Tai gasped when his eyes set on it. The symbol of courage was carved into the wall. It felt like it was calling to Tai the way it glimmered in the light above. The Jedi of Courage moved forward and reached out his hand as he neared the symbol. Maybe it was a way he could get his Force powers back and help defeat this Digimon Emperor.

His hand rested on the bottom ray, and immediately the symbol began to glow a bright orange light. Tai shielded his eyes from the sheer brightness of the light until it slowly faded away. When he lowered his arm from his face, he saw three small vertical objects still covered in the light hovering in front of him. Before he could reach out and touch them, they flew up through the opening in the ceiling and away.

* * *

"I want to go with you!" Davis repeated for the fourth time. The group of three Jedi and him had spent the past five minutes arguing about whether he would go or not. "None of you are going to stop me."

"It's not that easy, Davis," said TK, taking a deep breath in order to keep calm but his patience was slowly wearing thin. He showed the boy his lightsaber. "You need one of these to get in, and a connection to the Force."

"Granted, we don't have that," Izzy chuckled nervously. "Not anymore anyway. But I figured out a way where we should be able to get in. I'm sorry, Davis, but you'll have to sit this one out."

Just as he said that, a bright light shot from the computer and three multi-colored ones followed. One raptured in blue and orange light fell into Davis' hand while the two others, one red and green and the other in purple and white, flew straight out of the room.

The three Jedi were in awe as the light faded from Davis' hand to reveal the lightsaber in it. The burgundy-haired boy stared at it in disbelief. The saber had six cube-like ornaments on the pommel with the grip being mostly black until silver adorned the middle just below the emitter. A big red button was in the middle, serving as the activation mechanism.

He glanced at his wrist: it had a symbol adorning it. The symbol looked like a sun with the rays on the outer edge but with an eye that had a taijitu in place of the pupil.

Davis couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. His hand shook as it finally hit him that he was holding a real lightsaber. He was about to activate it when he was stopped by Kari and Izzy.

"Not a good idea to do that here," said the computer genius.

"Let's go, guys! We're wasting time!" Kari cried, desperate to get to the Digital World and help her brother with what he needed.

"Well, what are we standing around here for?" said Davis. "Let's get going!"

He forced his hand out, and the gate on the computer reacted to it. The same light from before flashed again, consuming Davis, TK, and Kari along with it. Izzy was about to join them when Yolei suddenly came bursting into the room. He quickly holstered his saber back onto his belt before she noticed.

"What was that light?" she demanded.

"W-What light?"

* * *

Davis felt his head start to swim as he finally felt his feet make contact with the ground. That was probably the weirdest thing that had ever happened to him. Next to him, he saw that he and the other two Jedi were in the middle of a dark forest.

"So this is the Digital World," he breathed as he looked around with wide eyes. "Pretty rad."

"You may think it's rad now, but just wait until you meet some of the homicidal creatures here," TK snickered. "It won't be pretty awesome then."

Davis growled as Kari giggled next to TK. When he looked down, he was surprised to see something else on his body than his regular clothes. He was now wearing a dark navy blue yukata with orange adorning the ends of the sleeves and hemline like flames. The obi around his waist was also orange. Sewn into the fabric was the same symbol that adorned his wrist: a sun with a taijitu within an eye in the middle. He also wore a pale blue tunic under his yukata. His shoes were replaced with wooden sandals.

"Sweet! New threads," he exclaimed. "This is pretty awesome."

TK and Kari also noticed that their clothes had been switched out for yukatas and sandals. Kari's was pink with a star-shaped symbol in the fabric and a pale pink tunic, while TK's was a subdued yellow with a shooting star on it. His tunic was white. Kari's obi was lilac while TK's was the same color as his yukata.

"I can't believe these still fit us," said TK. "We've grown a lot since we last wore them."

But Kari didn't answer. She had already run a few yards ahead of them.

"Come on, slowpokes!" she called. "Let's go!"

The two boys quickly ran after her. TK knew that it was not a good thing to get lost while in the Digital World, lest they run into bad Digimon. It did not take long for them to catch up with Kari.

"Where's Tai?" asked Kari, not finding one trace of her brother as she scanned the area in front of them. Since she and TK could no longer use the Force, they couldn't sense when someone was nearby.

Davis stared down a few meters away from them. Something familiar was heading their way, but what? He plucked his saber off his obi in case he needed to protect Kari.

Tai emerged from out of the foliage.

"Tai!" Kari cried, rushing to hug her brother. He accepted the hug and held her for a short moment before looking up at her two tag-alongs. His eyes widened when they settled on TK. He didn't recognize him for a second.

"Hey ya, Tai," greeted the blonde. "Been a while."

Tai blinked. "TK?" The boy nodded. "Oh my God, dude! How are ya? You're so….big now."

TK shrugged with a chuckle. "Yeah, I'm sure I've grown since you last saw me. I was still a little kid."

"Yeah you were," Tai laughed with him. "It's good to see you."

"Guess what. I'm living in Odaiba now."

"No way! That's awesome!"

Davis frowned as his mentor paid more attention to the other two than him. Did they all just forget he was there? It was irritating. He wasn't going to let this slide.

"What's up, Tai?" he greeted, finally making his presence known.

"Davis?" Tai was shocked to see the younger boy with TK and his sister. "What are you doing here?"

The boy showed the symbol and lightsaber that he had just received, which made Tai's eyes widen. He quickly led them into the cave before they could say anything else.

"Where did you get those, Davis?" asked Tai.

"I got them from this funky light that came out of the computer," replied Davis. "Next thing I know, I'm holding a lightsaber in my hand and there's a tattoo on my wrist."

Tai looked down at the boy's wrist to get a closer look at the symbol on his arm. It had the outlining rays of the symbol of Courage, but had the symbol of Friendship replace the middle of it.

He nodded silently. "There were these three lights that came from the symbol of Courage there," he said, pointing at the back wall. "But then who got the other two?"

* * *

Sweat dotted Izzy's brow as he stood under the inquisitive glare of Yolei. No matter what explanations he would give her, she was clearly not buying what he was saying. It didn't help that she had a knack for sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

"I'm going to ask you one last time, Izzy," she glared at him. "Where did everybody go?"

"I-I told you. They went home," said the teenager. He was grabbed by the tie and pulled in until he was mere inches from her face.

'_And I thought Mimi was scary when she's angry,' _he thought.

"How stupid do you think I am?" she hissed. "I know you're hiding something from me, Izzy Izumi, now what is it?! What is the Digital World and what are Digimon?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then what do you call this?" Yolei pushed him back before shoving something in her hand towards him. Izzy's eyes widened at the lightsaber in her hand. How did she get it? Then he realized. It had to have been one of the lights from the computer.

The sleeve of her shirt rose just a bit for him to get a glimpse of her wrist. A heart with a dewdrop resting in between the open space at the top of it rested on Yolei's wrist.

Izzy recognized the two symbols to be the ones of Love and Sincerity. Those had belonged to Mimi and Sora.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"I don't know. Some weird light I think," she glared back at the door. "Cody has one too. I'm going to ask you nicely again before I have to use force to get it out of you. Where did everybody go?"

* * *

"So what are we dealing with here, Tai?" asked Kari.

Tai scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not even sure myself," he said. "Agumon briefly filled me in, but I'm still not sure I understand it. First, he said that the Digital World has been at war with itself ever since not long after we left three years ago. Then three or so months ago, some kid who calls himself the 'Digimon Emperor' took over and now rules over it with an iron fist."

The three younger children gasped.

"That's awful!" Kari exclaimed.

"That's not even the worst of it," Tai continued. "He uses these collars that he calls Dark Rings to enslave Digimon for whatever he wants."

Kari and TK were troubled to hear about this turn of events. Just when they thought they had brought peace to the Digital World, things go south on them once again. Now that it was in trouble again, they knew they couldn't just run away from it.

Davis was the first to voice this concern.

"Then let's show this Digimon Emperor or whoever he is a thing or two," he said. "Just wait until I get my hands on him. He's gonna regret the day he was born."

A loud cackle echoed inside the room from above. The group of Jedi looked up and saw a figure that Tai took to be the Digimon Emperor. His wild dark raven hair shined in the light and right behind his sunglasses, his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Be careful what you wish for," he said, moving his index finger from side to side like a scolding parent. "You just might get it."

Tai growled as he activated his lightsaber. "It's about time you showed yourself, you little creep!"

The Emperor smirked. "Cold be heart and hand and bone. Cold be travelers far from home," he said with a snicker. "Now what fun would that be if I revealed myself right away, Tai Kamiya?" He then turned to look at TK and Kari. "Takeru Takaishi, better known as TK," he licked his lips, "and the lovely Kari Kamiya. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I have heard so much about you."

TK and Kari were shocked by what they were seeing. This big, bad Digimon Emperor they had just heard about was no more than a kid. It was obvious by his looks that he was no older than them.

"So the Digimon Emperor is just a kid, huh?" Davis said.

Tai swore that he could see the veins in the Emperor's temple throb in anger.

"Shut up!" he roared. "I am nothing like you pathetic little insects! Now prepare to face my wrath!"

The Emperor raised his hands until his fingertips were pointed towards the Jedi. Tai's face went pale. He knew what was coming next.

"Run!" he cried as a torrent of Force lightning erupted from the Emperor's fingertips. The group narrowly escaped in time as the lightning hit the ground, running down the corridor that would hopefully lead them out.

The light at the end of the tunnel grew closer and closer until the Jedi finally escaped the cave. For a moment, they thought they were home free.

But Davis saw he was standing above the jungle floor below. He realized he had taken a wrong turn in all the panic. How could he have been so stupid?

The Emperor's familiar cackle filled the air. Davis turned and saw him for a brief second before he was suddenly pushed to the ground below by a rush of energy. His head bounced off the ground before landing flat on his back.

Davis slowly sat up , holding his throbbing head as something fell out of his hair and onto the ground. He looked down and saw it was a piece of glass. Then it dawned on him.

He took his goggles off his head. They were completely destroyed.

"Aw shit," he groaned before turning to glare at the top of the cliff. "You owe me new goggles, buddy!" he yelled at the Emperor, who drifted down to them leisurely.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he mocked. "Let me give you a _down payment_."

Davis closed his eyes as the Emperor drew his lightsaber and honed in on him for the kill. But just before it reached him, Davis heard the sound of another saber activating and blocking the Emperor's.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw that Tai had stopped the Emperor's attack. The tyrant gazed at Tai with an excited smirk.

"I've been looking forward to this," he said.

"You want me, here I am." Tai shot back as the two broke apart. Davis didn't waste a second, running over to join TK and Kari.

Tai and the Emperor circled each other for a few moments, sizing the other up for how they would match up, before the Emperor made the first move. He came fast and hard, faster than Tai had ever seen before. He barely had time to block the oncoming attack as he raised his saber to stop it, but the Emperor was a hair faster.

"Tai, you disappoint me," he taunted as Tai tried to catch his breath. "I would have thought you'd be better than this. I guess that's what happens when you can't use the Force anymore. Surely, you can do better."

Tai had heard enough and came hard this time, but the Emperor dodged and blocked every single attack that came his way. He grabbed Tai's wrists with both hands and then kicked him straight in the stomach. The Jedi of Courage doubled over before a kick smacked him right in the jaw and sent him to the ground. He was out cold.

"Tai!" Kari cried, unable to watch her brother get the stuffing kicked out of him. "TK, do something! We have to help him!"

But TK stood wide-eyed and completely still. He couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. He tried to move his legs forward, but he couldn't move. His body had frozen in fear and shock.

Davis glanced from Kari to her fallen brother, then the frozen TK, and watched horrified as the Emperor kicked Tai's lightsaber from his hand.

"I must say," The Emperor smirked with an evil glint in his eyes. "I didn't expect it to end so soon, Jedi of Courage." He raised his lightsaber. "Oh well. Just one less insect for me."

Just as he was to deliver the fatal strike, a _snap-hiss _emerged from behind him, followed by a roar of determination. The next thing the Emperor knew, another blue blade blocked his just mere inches from Tai's neck. His eyes met Davis'.

"Brave of you, boy," he said. "But I would have thought you had learned not to interfere in others' business."

Davis smirked. "I am a slow learner."

Behind the two of them, TK and Kari activated their blue lightsabers as well.

"If you want to kill my brother, you'll have to go through us too," said Kari, glaring at the raven-haired boy.

The blonde's shock had faded, and was now ready to fight. "You mess with one, you've messed with us all!" he declared.

The Emperor frowned as he realized that he was clearly outnumbered. Even without their Force powers, the Destined Jedi would still be formidable foes. What fun would it be to kill them all now when he could lure all the other Destined Jedi here and slaughter them all at once? He knew what he had to do.

"Fair enough," he said. "I'll spare you all today, but next time you won't be so lucky."

Before anyone could do anything, the Emperor broke the lock he and Davis shared and used the Force to enhance his leaping abilities. He jumped up to the cliff and ran back into the cave.

"Hey! Come back here!" Davis cried, ready to go after the Emperor, but TK grabbed him before he could do anything.

"Let him go," he said. "We'll get him another time. Right now, we need to help Tai and then go back."

Davis immediately settled down. Kari cradled her brother's head on her lap as he slowly started to regain consciousness. He was a little roughed up at first sight: a black and blue bruise on his cheek, but nothing too horrible.

"You okay, Tai?" Kari asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Boy, I wasn't expecting that guy to be so good," Tai chuckled. "It's nothing I've ever seen before. Definitely someone we should watch out for in the future."

The others laughed in relief, happy that Tai was still in good spirits. He looked at Davis.

"Davis, that was brave of you for jumping in there when you did," he said. "You saved my neck. Literally."

The boy blushed in embarrassment at the praise he received from the person he admired the most. Whenever he got a compliment from Tai, he would become embarrassed because it reminded him just how lucky he was to have a mentor like him.

"Aw, shucks. It was nothing, Tai," he chuckled. "I couldn't let that creep get you." He handed Tai his lightsaber back. "I believe this belongs to you."

"Thanks." The teenager clipped it back onto his obi.

After a couple more minutes, Tai was back on his feet and moving. TK and Davis led the way back from where they came so they could all go home, while the Kamiya siblings walked three paces behind them. Kari stayed close to her brother in case he needed assistance.

After walking another few yards, the Jedi came across a small television. On the screen, they were shocked to see Izzy chowing down on ohagi with Yolei and Cody.

"Aw man!" Davis cried. "We're missing out on ohagi!"

He quickly looked for a switch that they needed to pull or press in order for them to get back. After touching just about everything, his fingers pressed a button and the humans were sucked into the television.

* * *

**And that is the first chapter, ladies and gentlemen. Hope you guys enjoyed it and liked what I did with some of the characters (The Emperor specifically). The poem he recites is the first and last stanza of the Jabberwocky poem. Credit goes to the legendary Lewis Carroll. Think the scene from Alice in Wonderland (the animated version) with the Cheshire Cat.**

**Be sure to review because I want to see what you guys think of the beginning. Also favorite and follow the story too because this is going to be a roller coaster ride you do not want to miss. **


	2. The New Destined Jedi

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thank you. Glad to have you on board. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Oh you are gonna get more. **

**Music Chick: Gotta have my ohagi! XD It really does give an Our War Games feel. How very observant of you.**

**Yagami Kuzuki: We will just have to see. There eventually be a Anakin vs Obi Wan type battle happen in this series. **

**Thanks to Music Chick, Ackbarfan5556, summer490, animangafreakZX, Yagami Kuzuki, Redder45, Mishi100, IanAlphaAxel, Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint, RaisingHeartSetUp, and Airlines of Sunshine for the favorites and follows.**

* * *

**Wow! Looks like you guys really enjoyed that first chapter and were looking forward to the story. I think this is the quickest I have gotten to ten favorites or follows before. Thanks to all of you for your support. If you guys liked the first chapter, you are really going to enjoy this. For one thing, we get a little more action and we get to catch up with everyone. There is even a change I made for a particular Destined Jedi. You'll find out soon. **

**Enough rambling. Let's get this thing going!**

* * *

Izzy used his finger to brush away any traces of the red bean paste from his lips. The ohagi Cody's mother made was rich and sweet, with a hint of salt in them. The treat was one of his favorite sweets and would never pass it up when offered to him. All that was missing was some oolong tea, and it would be perfect.

As he reached for a second helping, the computer genius felt the weight of four people fall on top of him. Tai landed directly on his stomach, and Davis fell on Tai. TK was squashing poor Cody underneath him while Kari was in Yolei's arms.

"Get off!" Izzy yelled, his cries muffled under the fabric of Tai's blazer.

"Hey! Hey! Watch the junk!" Tai cried as Davis tried to climb off of him.

The boy quickly apologized. "Sorry."

TK and Cody laid nose-to-nose with each other for a brief moment until the blonde slowly pulled the boy up with him. TK wiped off any dust or dirt that had been collected on Cody's shirt.

"Man, that could have gone better," Tai chuckled nervously.

"Tai, will you get off me?" Izzy shrieked. The older boy's weight was hindering his ability to breathe.

Tai quickly stood up, now that Davis was not on top of him. "Sorry, Izzy," he apologized before pulling him up.

"What happened?" asked Cody. "Where did you guys come from?"

Davis quickly answered the question. "From the Digital World. It's the coolest place ever!" he exclaimed. "There we were, the Digimon Emperor right about to kill Tai, when I jumped in and saved him as the supremely awesome Jedi that I am."

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "Digimon Emperor? Who's that?" he asked.

"I'll explain later, Izzy," said Tai.

Davis explained to Yolei and Cody the lights that came out of the computer were actually lightsabers, making them Destined Jedi. The two of them were amazed. Did this mean that they could go to the Digital World too?

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yolei exclaimed. "Let's go!"

Cody was much more reserved. "I think that's enough excitement for one day," he said. "Besides, I have to get home. Mom's making okonomiyaki with gyoza for dinner tonight."

Yolei was not happy with this response. "Don't you want to go, Cody?" she glared at him.

"Of course I do," he placated. "But we can't just go rushing in, especially if there's an evil Digimon Emperor there."

"Yup, he's one tough customer alright," said Tai, pointing to the bruise on his cheek. "Mom's not going to want us to miss dinner either." He grimaced at the thought of what his mother would be serving them tonight. "Though I'm not sure it'll be edible."

"It'll be fine, Tai," Kari assured her brother. "Mom's not that bad a cook."

"The last thing she made nearly crawled off my plate!"

"Mom's working late tonight, so I'm taking care of myself," said TK. "Guess that means instant noodles for me."

"My parents and I are going out for wagyu beef tonight," Izzy added. "Sorry, but we can't stay any longer. If this Digimon Emperor is as bad as you say he is, Tai, then we need a plan."

Yolei stomped her foot in disappointment. "No fair!" she wailed. "I wanna go!"

TK patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Yolei," he said. "You'll get a chance to go soon."

"When?" she whined as the group filed out of the computer room.

Before they got too far, Izzy remembered that he hadn't turned the computer off. He didn't want anyone outside of the group finding it and discovering the gate, so he went back to turn it off. Oddly enough, the gate was now closed with the smaller screen on the computer turning red. There was no need to turn the computer off.

With a silent shrug, he left the room to regroup with everyone else.

A few seconds after Izzy had rounded the corner, a head stuck out from the door of the next room. It gazed down the hallway the group of Jedi had walked down and then turned back the other way. Once it felt like the coast was clear, the door slid open and a man walked into the computer lab. He gazed at the computer in fascination, the digital gate still colored in red to show it was closed.

"Why?" he muttered in a smooth, low voice. "Why do you need more?"

* * *

A few hours later, darkness settled in on the Tokyo area. At eight o'clock that evening, a group of seven children sat around a small park in Odaiba. Tai, Kari, Izzy, and TK were all there. Joining them were three of their fellow Destined Jedi.

A girl sat on top of the jungle gym. She was fourteen, athletic, and had medium length auburn hair that went to her neck. Her crimson eyes sparkled in the lamplight. She wore a black Backstreet Boys Black and Blue Tour t-shirt with the faces of all five members on it, a denim skirt that went to the middle of her long, toned thighs, and white Mizuno tennis shoes. A lightsaber hung off the belt on her skirt. She was Sora Takenouchi. The former Jedi of Love.

Sora had changed dramatically from the tomboy she used to be, becoming more feminine and beautiful over the past three years. Even so, she was still captain of the girl's soccer team and her personality remained unchanged.

"When is Matt going to get here?" she asked, her voice growing impatient after having spent the last ten minutes sitting on top of the jungle gym. It was starting to get very uncomfortable. "We've been waiting for the last fifteen minutes."

"Be patient, Sora," Tai assured her, giving the girl a flash of his famous goofy smile. "He'll be here. He just messaged me that he was on his way."

"Ugh! One of my biggest peeves with Matt is his inability to be anywhere on time," huffed a thirteen-year-old girl who was a few feet next to Sora. She folded her arms across the chest of her pink t-shirt. White khaki short-shorts hugged her waist and upper thighs tightly, a lightsaber hanging off the belt. A pair of pink Nike tennis shoes and long white socks graced her feet. The one thing that stood out to everyone was her bright pink hair, which was curled as it went down to her shoulders.

Her warm brown eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "He's never going to get a girlfriend and keep her if he keeps being late to things."

"I second that, Mimi," TK chuckled.

Mimi Tachikawa laughed along with him. She was the former Jedi of Sincerity.

The other member there was the oldest of the group, Joe Kido. He was fifteen and went to a private middle school across the Rainbow Bridge in Minato. He was still in his uniform after coming straight from cram school, consisting of a blue blazer, white button-down shirt, tan slacks with a brown belt, and navy shoes. Like the others, he too had a lightsaber hanging off his waist.

Joe's hair had grown long over the years, now reaching his neck like Sora's did. His once-dorky looking glasses had been substituted for more sleek full moon spectacles. He was the Jedi of Reliability.

He noticed someone coming toward them from the opposite side of the park.

"Oh look," he said. "Here he comes now."

Everyone turned and saw a blonde-haired fourteen-year-old boy carrying a guitar case walk into the park. The first thing that struck them was how handsome he was: his blonde hair was shaggy like TK's, but styled enough that it didn't hang over his eyes. His face was chiseled and narrowed without a single hint of fat on it, and his icy blue eyes portrayed a soft, kind nature. It was no wonder the girls went crazy over him. Over his right eye was a fading red scar that went from where his cheekbone separated his eye socket from the rest of his face up to his eyebrow. He had gotten it in a duel with Tai when a Digimon named Cherrymon manipulated him into fighting the goggle-headed leader for Puppetmon, one of the Dark Masters.

His clothes reflected his rock star looks with a pair of pale blue jeans that were torn in various places on the legs, grey Vans sneakers, and a black Guns n Roses t-shirt underneath a black over shirt. He had just come from rehearsal with his band: The Teenage Wolves, in preparation for a concert they were putting on in a few days time. He was their bass player and lead singer.

"Hey, guys," he greeted. "Sorry I'm late."

Sora sighed in relief and slid off the jungle gym. "It's about time you got here," she said, giving him a small smile nonetheless. "We're glad you could make it."

"Yeah, sure," he muttered with a shy smile then looked away from her. "What's going on? You said it was urgent, Tai."

Tai bit his bottom lip, almost hesitant to say anything. Finally, he spoke. "Guys," he said slowly. "I think we have to save the Digital World again."

The group fell deathly silent. The sounds of insects chirping and the wind overtook the park as the implications of that sentence hit everyone. They knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Are you saying –" Sora began to ask.

"Yeah," Tai nodded, confirming their worst fears. "I hate to say it, but yes. Things have gotten worse since we left, and now there's a new evil that has taken over: someone who calls himself the Digimon Emperor."

Joe's eyes widened so much that they nearly knocked his glasses off his nose.

"Digimon Emperor?" he asked, his throat so dry that it came out hoarsely.

The others settled in as Tai explained what happened earlier that day.

* * *

Out on the balcony of his apartment, Cody chopped and swung his shinai in various movements and directions with perfect control and precision. His mind was centered and at peace as he practiced his kendo movements. He was a young kendo prodigy, having been trained by his grandfather since a very young age. Despite his abilities, he still had much to learn about the ancient art.

Despite his perceived concentration, the boy's mind was in a different place. Peeking out from the sleeve of his yukata was the symbol that appeared on his wrist earlier that day when a mix of purple and white light dropped a saber in his hand. It was a crucifix that had two different size circles, one small and one large, running through the middle of it. He hadn't told his mother or grandfather about it yet.

The only other thing on his mind was the Digital World. The way that Davis described it stuck with him the rest of the day. Now he wanted to go there more than anything else.

"I wonder what it's like," he muttered aloud as he held his shinai pointed forwards. "To visit the Digital World."

While he was thinking about this, Yolei sat with her knees on the floor, her toolbox next to her as she worked on the start-up drive of Cody's computer. She was still annoyed at not getting to go to the Digital World that day. Why was it that she never got to do anything fun? As the youngest of four siblings, she was always the last dog at the bowl: getting whatever scraps were left at meals, the longer shifts at her family's convenience store, shorter bathroom times, and in general everything.

"I don't care what they say," she grumbled under her breath, tightening the screw under her screwdriver. "I'm going to the Digital World tomorrow."

"Yolei," Cody's mother called from the kitchen. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Hida," Yolei replied. "I have to get home. Thanks for the offer though."

She looked down and took the saber off of her waist, studying it inquisitively. Surely things like this only appeared in the movies, not real life. Maybe this was her chance to distinguish herself from her siblings; to do something that they could never do.

Excitement shot through her.

* * *

Matt was shocked at what he heard. Tai told the group that Agumon had appeared to him and brought him to the Digital World that day and told him everything. There had been civil war in the Digital World since not long after they left, and the Digimon Emperor rose out of that struggle to take power. The worst part was that this guy enslaved innocent Digimon with his Dark Rings out of pure pleasure. It was sickening to hear.

"If this guy is causing this much trouble, then we have to do something about it," he said after Tai finished his tale. "We can't just sit here and do nothing."

"But how are we going to do that?" asked Mimi. "We can't use the Force anymore, which means we can't go into the Digital World whenever we want."

"Not to mention we all have separate lives now, Tai," added Joe. "Even if we wanted to help, we can't just skirt our responsibilities. We're not kids anymore."

Tai sighed heavily. Joe was right. He couldn't just skip soccer practice all the time to go to the Digital World whenever he wanted. It wouldn't look good on him as the team captain. Thankfully he and Sora still saw each other a lot, so they could keep each other updated, but he couldn't with everybody else. Matt had his band, Joe was buried in his studies, Izzy did his computer stuff, and Mimi was a cheerleader at their school. All together, they wouldn't be able to do as much as they wanted. Even so, he refused to concede.

"Guys, this isn't something we can just sit on the sidelines for," he said. "If we don't fight this guy, then everything we fought for and watched our friends die for would be for nothing. If the Emperor succeeds in conquering the Digital World, who is to say he won't do the same thing here?"

"But Tai –" Joe began.

"No 'buts', Joe. Saving the world is just as important as your studies. Are you guys with me on this?"

Matt nodded eagerly. Sora thought about it for a second until she slowly nodded her head. TK and Kari were also quick to agree, as was Izzy. Joe and Mimi were the only ones who were unsure.

"I don't know if I can do this again," said Mimi. "The last time was hard enough."

Sora smiled at her. "You won't be alone, Mimi," she said. "We'll all be here to help you."

That seemed to do the trick as Mimi took a deep breath.

"Okay. I'm in," she muttered with a slight nod.

Everyone's eyes turned to Joe. The boy fidgeted nervously under all the attention that was on him.

"This better not be a 24/7 job," he said.

"It won't be," said Tai. "You'll have plenty of time to worry about school after we're done with whatever we need to do. We're talking about the fate of both worlds here, Joe. You can't sit this one out."

"Yeah, come on, Joe," added Sora. "You're part of the team too. We need you."

Joe rubbed his temples as a headache started to come on. As if he didn't need more to worry about right now. Even though school just started, he had a lot of tests coming up that he needed to study for. He couldn't let this affect that. Sora was right though: He was part of this team. As the Jedi of Reliability, he was supposed to be the one they all could count on.

"Okay, fine," he groaned. "I'm in."

A small grin grew on Tai's lips. "Okay, " he nodded. "We all know what we have to do. Thankfully, we will have some extra help this time. When I touched the symbol of Courage in the cave, it sent out these three small flashes of light. They were lightsabers, and I knew that because Davis came with one."

"Davis from the soccer club?" said Sora, making sure she heard right.

"Yep. The very same one. He literally saved my neck today."

"These other two kids in my apartment building, Yolei Inuoe and Cody Hida, also had lightsabers too," added TK.

"Guess that makes them the new Destined Jedi," said Joe with a shrug.

"Exactly what I'm thinking," said Izzy. "We can't just throw them to the wolves and expect them to defeat the Emperor. Remember, we had no idea what we were doing when we first went there. It was a bunch of trial and error until Gennai finally showed us the way. We have to do everything we can to make sure they have the tools to succeed from the get-go."

"You mean train them?" asked Matt.

Izzy nodded. "Precisely. And we will start tomorrow. I'm going to check the computer to make sure that the gate is open."

Tai threw an arm around Izzy's shoulders. "Then I'm going with you," he said.

"Me too," added Sora.

"Beam me up, Scotty," TK voiced his agreement.

"And count me in too," said Kari.

Matt, Joe, and Mimi apologized to their teammates. They all had big things going on tomorrow that they couldn't just cancel on. Joe had to study for that test he was taking this week, Matt had to practice with his band, and Mimi was organizing offseason cheerleading workouts.

"We're sorry, Tai," Matt apologized for them. "We really wanna help, but we can't."

"It's alright, guys," Tai assured. "We'll take care of business there tomorrow."

"We promise we'll be there if you run into any trouble," Mimi smiled.

"Thanks. For now, go home and tell your families what the deal is. We can trust them to know what we're up to. Let's take this Digimon Emperor down!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

"Dang, Mom," said Tai with wide eyes. "I haven't seen you this upset since you found out George Michael was gay."

His mother let out a despaired groan as she buried her face on the cold rosewood finish of the kitchen table. She didn't like to be reminded of that. Back when she was a teenager, she had the biggest crush on George Michael when he was in Wham! and wanted to marry him. After he came out as gay in 1998, she fell into a brief depression. Despite how long it had been since then, she still didn't like to talk about it.

Mrs. Kamiya glanced up at her two children with worried eyes and said, "That's not funny, Tai," before lowering her head back down.

Her hands rested on top of her head. She couldn't have taken the news her children just gave her any worse. Tai and Kari told her that the Digital World was calling and they may need to fight to save it once again.

She muttered against the table, sounding muffled to Tai and Kari, "Why, why, why?"

The siblings sat down on either side of their mother. Tai rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"We didn't want this either, Mom," he said. "But we can't just do nothing."

"So many innocent Digimon are suffering, Mommy," added Kari. "I can't bear the thought of something horrible happening to any more of them. We have to do something!"

Mrs. Kamiya slowly sat up and took her two children into her arms, squeezing them both tightly as she held them close.

"Why does it have to be the two of you and your friends?" she mumbled, sounding on the verge of tears. "Why can't someone else take care of this?"

Tai and Kari listened as their mother began to silently sob. It broke their hearts to make her worry and cry like this, but they couldn't run away. It was their responsibility to defend the Digital World and all who lived in it.

Tai was the first to speak.

"Because it's our responsibility," he said. "We're the only ones who can do this." He gave his mother an optimistic smile. "We succeeded last time, didn't we?"

"'Just barely," replied Mrs. Kamiya. After taking several deep breaths in thought, the woman added, "Please be careful. I can't stand the thought of something happening to the two of you. Look after each other."

The Kamiya siblings' smiles grew wider.

"We will."

* * *

The sun came out the next day as the children made their way to school. It was a slightly warmer day, but not an outrageously warm one that was unlike early April. Most of the other schoolchildren were waiting to see what their second day of school had in store for them, but a group of eight had other things in mind.

Izzy sat at the computer in the computer lab after school to try and figure out a way to unlock the gate to the Digital World so they all could go. It was still closed with the gate showing up red on the computer. It was the only computer which allowed the group to teleport to the Digital World.

He told his parents about what he and the others had talked about the night before. His father was supportive of him participating, but his mother was more hesitant. He understood why; she didn't want him to get hurt or killed at any point, but assured her that he would be fine. After that, she had given him her blessing.

"Izzy, what are you doing here?" Yolei called to him.

Izzy turned. She and Cody walked towards him, their lightsabers hanging off their waists. He still couldn't believe that they were two of the new Destined Jedi. This was going to be quite the challenge for him and the others.

"I was just checking out the computer to see what happened yesterday," he replied. "It's nothing you guys really need to worry about."

Cody was direct about what he wanted as he looked Izzy straight in the eye.

"Izzy, I want to go to the Digital World with you," he said. "Please let me go."

'_Doesn't mince words, does he?' _Izzy thought as he responded, "I don't even know if the gate's open. I can't guarantee it."

At that moment, a beeping sound went off on the computer. The three children turned to look and Izzy saw a grassland on the screen where it had been red. The gate was open.

"Hey gang!" Davis cried as he, TK, Kari, Tai, and Sora all walked into the computer lab.

The auburn-haired girl smiled, and bowed slightly to Yolei and Cody.

"It's a pleasure to meet the two of you," she greeted. "I'm Sora Takenouchi."

"Hi, Sora, I'm Yolei," Yolei introduced herself, shaking hands with the older girl. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Cody Hida at your services," Cody returned her bow with one of his own. "A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Takenouchi."

Sora blushed at being referred to in such a formal way.

"Just Sora will be fine, Cody," she nervously chuckled.

Sora was surprised to see that Yolei was the one who inherited the symbols of Love and Sincerity when the younger kids showed them the symbols on their wrists. Izzy's suspicions were confirmed when Cody showed he had inherited the symbols of Knowledge and Reliability.

"Since we're all here, let's go!" exclaimed Yolei. She had been impatiently waiting for this moment all day that she couldn't stand it any longer.

Davis smirked. "Hold on. I should prepare you guys for what you're about to see."

"Oh shut up!" Yolei shook her fist in his face. "You were only there once. What do you know?"

"A lot more than you do, four eyes," he shot back, only making the girl even angrier. Everyone sweat dropped as they watched. Even Cody wanted nothing to do with it.

"Come on, guys. Stop it." Tai ordered, getting between them. The two glared at each other, but didn't say anything else.

"We should be lucky," said Izzy once things died down. "The gate has never been open two days in a row before. We can't count on this to keep happening every day."

"Then let's get going!" Davis cried as he stuck out his hand.

"Tai Kamiya! Is that you?"

Everyone nearly jumped out of their skin at how sudden the voice came. They turned and saw a man in his mid-thirties with black hair combed to the side and big round glasses. He had a goofy smile on his face. Tai and Sora knew this man all too well.

"Mr. Fujiyama," Tai chuckled nervously. "What a surprise."

The man glanced at the auburn-haired girl. "And Sora and Izzy too," he smiled. "Didn't you all graduate?"

"Y-Yes sir," replied Sora. "But we were just coming by to check how things have changed."

"Oh, I can assure you that nothing has changed a bit," said Mr. Fujiyama. "Everything is still in the same place as it has always been."

"What are you doing here, sir?" Tai asked, hoping to lose the man as quickly as possible so they could all go.

Mr. Fujiyama puffed his chest proudly. "I'm the head of the computer club."

"What do you know about computers?" the older Destined Jedi said in unison.

"Not a single thing."

If this were an anime, the group would have done a collective fall. Even after all these years, Mr. Fujiyama was still the same lovable dope that they knew him to be. Unfortunately, Tai couldn't use a mind trick to make him go away this time like when the Destined Jedi needed to go to Hikarigaoka to stop Myotismon three years ago.

The three older Jedi glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes. How were they going to convince Mr. Fujiyama to leave without sounding suspicious?

"Um, excuse me," another voice came from the doorway. Everyone in the room turned to see a young man, about twenty-five or so, with a messy mop of black hair and brown eyes standing outside the computer lab. He wore a burgundy polo, brown slacks, and carried a binder in his left hand.

Mr. Fujiyama smiled at the newcomer, taking his attention away from the children. "Ah, hello. What can I help you with?" he asked.

"I need to run something down to the administration office, but I'm not sure how to get there," the younger man replied. "Could you point me in the right direction, please?"

"Certainly," Fujiyama happily replied, slapping a hand to the man's shoulder as they walked out of the room. "Wait a second. You're the new guy in the counselor's office, right?"

The man nodded.

"I thought I recognized you. What was your name again?"

"Nishijima. Daigo Nishijima."

"Pleasure to meet you, Daigo. I'm Ichiro Fujiyama."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Fujiyama," Daigo shook the man's hand.

"I would be more than happy to show you the way, Daigo," said Fujiyama. "Heck, while we're at it, why don't I just give you a tour of the whole school?"

"Oh, that would be lovely," Daigo forced a smile as the two walked down the hall away from the computer room. He stopped in the hallway. Mr. Fujiyama didn't notice as he kept walking.

Daigo stuck his head back into the computer lab. "Go! Go! Go!" he mouthed to the children before running to catch up with the older man.

The Destined Jedi gasped audibly. Davis, Cody, and Yolei were a little surprised, but the three teenagers were beside themselves in complete shock.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Tai said slowly.

"I can't read minds anymore, Tai, so I don't know what you're thinking about," Izzy replied.

Tai lowered his voice so that no one outside could hear them. "Is it possible that he knows about us?" he asked.

"Nah. Don't start talking crazy," Sora immediately shot it down. "The only ones who know about that are us and our parents. Now let's go before Mr. Fujiyama comes back."

Tai and Izzy both nodded. Maybe it was just their imaginations after all.

Davis reached his hand out and the symbol on his arm began to glow a mixture of orange and blue light. The gate reacted to this motion and unleashed a bright light that consumed everyone within proximity.

* * *

A harsh wind blew in Tai's face once he felt his feet make contact with the ground. His wild brown hair flew in all directions as the wind picked up speed. He opened his eyes and saw that he and others were standing in the middle of a hilled plain. The lush green grass was slightly paled, but everyone instantly felt like they were in the Scottish Highlands.

"Everyone okay?" asked Izzy.

The others responded affirmatively as they finally settled in to their surroundings. Tai, Kari, TK, and Davis were now wearing their yukatas. Sora and Izzy looked down to see that they were wearing theirs too.

"Wow," said Sora as she admired her bright red yukata and the wooden sandals on her feet. The symbol of Love was etched a much darker red in the fabric. The obi around her midsection was a subdued red. She also wore a pale red tunic under her yukata. "I can't believe these still fit us. It was so long ago that we wore these."

"Prodigious!" Izzy exclaimed. His yukata was dark purple with the symbol of knowledge being a bright violet to contrast against it. His obi and tunic were also colored purple.

Cody gazed out at the world before him in amazement, not paying attention to the chatter of the teenagers behind him.

"So this is the Digital World," he muttered before gazing down to see his clothes had changed. "My clothes!"

He was now wearing a yukata just like the other Jedi. While Izzy's was dark purple, Cody's was a lighter version of the color. The obi around his waist was white, while the pattern on the yukata was the symbol he had on his wrist. His tunic was also white.

Yolei's clothes had changed too. She was wearing a watermelon-colored yukata with a pale green obi around her midsection. The symbols of Love and Sincerity were woven together in the fabric the same way they were presented on her wrist. The tunic under her yukata was bright red.

"This is awesome!" she exclaimed. "I wonder if I can get this in more of a hot pink."

"How about more of a fearsome grand master look?" Davis added.

Behind them, Sora looked on scornfully as they talked about changing styles.

"Kids today," she groaned. "They never appreciate the things they are given. At least I appreciated whatever my mom gave me, even if I didn't like it."

"Now you're sounding just like your mother, Sora," Tai teased, which earned a laugh from everybody else, including Sora.

The group made their way across the plain with cautious haste. There was no telling where or when the Digimon Emperor would appear. Even the slightest change in the wind was enough to arouse suspicion. The anticipation was killing them.

"What does this Digimon Emperor look like, Tai?" asked Sora.

"He has big, wild raven hair, dark sunglasses, and a ridiculous jumpsuit that makes him look like a bad Batman villain," Tai described.

A buzzing like that of a mosquito filled the air as a large shadow was cast over the group. A giant mantis-like Digimon zoomed down at them with the speed of a bullet. Its body was dark green with orange markings. It had no eyes that could be seen, but it seemed to be moving straight for the Destined Jedi. What caught everyone's attention were the two razor-sharp claws at the end of its appendages.

A familiar cackle soon followed.

"A bad Batman villain eh?" a sneering voice said, followed by the _snap-hiss _of a lightsaber activating. "I am sure that those comic book fools never thought of creating me. If they did, I would be the most terrifying comic book villain ever."

The group gazed up at the Digimon Emperor, that terrifying sneer plastered on his face like it was permanently etched onto it. Tai and the others activated their lightsabers, except for Yolei and Cody. They were frozen in shock and fear.

"Is that him, Tai?" asked Sora.

"Yeah, that's him."

The Emperor's smirk grew wider as he inspected each of the Jedi. Tai, Davis, Kari, and TK had all returned like he expected. He saw two new children with them. Fresh meat, he thought with a ravenous look in his eye. And then he saw two other familiar faces.

"What luck!" he exclaimed. "Sora Takenouchi. Izzy Izumi. Oh, how marvelous it is to finally meet the two of you!"

Sora and Izzy were caught off guard. How did this kid know who they were? Then they remember what Tai had set the day before, and it all made sense. He knew who they were from all the media coverage of them after they returned from the Digital World.

"I wish the feeling was mutual," Sora shot at the boy, pointing her blue lightsaber towards the insect he was floating on. Her crimson eyes were narrowed and focused solely on the Emperor.

"You won't be terrorizing the Digital World anymore when we're through with you," Izzy added, brandishing his green lightsaber blade in a vertical stance.

The Emperor cackled loudly. "How are you going to do that when you can't use the Force? You're all about to become my little friend's meal. Snimon, attack!"

The insect dove for Izzy and Sora once its master jumped off and slowly descended down to the ground. Tai quickly tackled Sora to the ground to avoid Snimon's attack. The bug flew over them harmlessly, but they knew that wasn't the end of it.

"You okay?" Tai asked as Sora got reoriented.

He quickly realized how close they were. They blushed for a brief second until Sora brought herself back to the task at hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied the girl. "Izzy and I will take care of bug face here. You and Davis get the Emperor."

"Got it!" Tai nodded as he got off her. He and Davis ran for the Emperor in hopes that the two of them together could stop him this time.

"I would have thought you learned your lesson by now, Tai Kamiya," the raven-haired tyrant sneered as the two Jedi charged at him. "It's foolish to fight me."

Tai scoffed. "Heh. Like Davis said yesterday, I, too, am a slow learner."

The Emperor didn't panic as Tai and Davis swung at him at the same time. Using his saber, he quickly defended against both attacks at once. He twirled his saber around like a rapier as he deflected strike after strike.

'_He's toying with us,' _Tai realized as the three of them locked themselves in a stalemate.

Away from them, Sora and Izzy circled around Yolei and Cody with Kari and TK. The four of them waited anxiously for the moment that Snimon would come back for a second round at them.

"Here it comes!" TK cried as the mantis swooped in for another attack. All four Jedi swung up at the insect to try and bring it down, but Snimon quickly avoided their attacks.

Yolei and Cody were paralyzed with fear. Suddenly, this little excursion they were looking forward to had quickly turned into a nightmare. This was not something they wanted any part of.

"I…think I want to go home now," Cody murmured, his small body shaking like he was out in the cold.

"Yeah," Yolei said before exploding into tears. "I can't take this anymore! I WANNA GO HOME!"

Her cries distracted the Emperor as he swept Tai and Davis' legs out from under them. He glared right at her with a look of annoyance.

"Snimon, shut her up!" he roared.

The mantis obeyed and dove right for Yolei and Cody. Sora and Izzy were quick to react and pulled them away as they darted to the nearby trees for cover. TK and Kari swung at the insect Digimon one last time in hopes of bringing it down, but Snimon again aborted the attack at the last second. They too broke for the trees to join their teammates.

While the Emperor had his back turned, Davis went for a stab that would kill him but he quickly turned and blocked the attack. A sneer returned to his face.

"Ah, ah, ah," he chastised, wagging his index finger. "Bad form. Attacking someone when their back is turned is the lowest form of cowardice one can ever do. The time has come, the walrus said."

The Emperor snapped his fingers, and the ground underneath Davis began to crumble.

"Davis!" Tai cried. He tried to grab the boy's hand, but missed. Davis fell into the sinkhole below. At the bottom was a mole-like Digimon that had a Dark Ring around one of its forelegs. It had a giant drill-like horn on top of its purple head and its eyes glowed red from being under the ring's control.

"Tai, help!" Davis yelled as the mole dragged him away.

Tai glared at the Emperor with utter hatred. "You monster!"

"Oh, I'm not a monster, Jedi of Courage," the Emperor snickered. "I'm just ahead of the curve. Tootles."

Before Tai could do anything else, the Emperor jumped into the sinkhole and disappeared from sight with a maniacal laugh that sounded like it could have come from the Joker. His eyes lingered on the sinkhole for a few seconds longer before he ran for the trees.

* * *

The Destined Jedi ran deep into the jungle until they were absolutely sure that they had lost Snimon. After a mile and a half, they finally felt safe and stopped running. Izzy dropped to his knees in exhaustion. Everyone else took deep breaths to get their breathing under control.

"I don't want this anymore!" Yolei sobbed. "Get me out of here!"

Sora reached both hands for the girl's shoulders to try and calm her. Yolei quieted the second that she felt the contact. Under her glasses, her eyes were red and snot ran down her nose from all the crying she had done.

"It's okay, Yolei," Sora said softly, giving her a comforting smile. "We're safe now."

Izzy stood up from his knees as he got his breath back. He turned his attention to Cody. The boy was still shaken up from the battle with Snimon, his eyes wide in terror.

"Are you okay, Cody?" he asked.

Cody nodded hesitantly. "Yeah," he said shakily. "I'm fine. What was that thing though?"

"That is what we call a Digimon," Izzy replied. "They're digital creatures that inhabit this world. There are good ones, but there are also bad ones too. Just have to be careful with what you get."

That didn't make Cody feel any better.

Suddenly, foliage was ruffled nearby. Everyone almost jump out of their skin with fright. Yolei started to cry again as the older Destined Jedi settled themselves, their lightsabers ready to strike whatever came out.

"It's okay. It's me," Tai said as he emerged from the foliage. Everyone visibly relaxed at the sight of him. Yolei's sobs ceased.

Sora looked past Tai. "Where's Davis?" she asked.

A sad look came over Tai's face. "He fell into a sinkhole," he said. "The Emperor got him."

After a period of shocked silence, TK spoke. "Then we need to find where the Emperor has taken him, and get him back."

"How are we going to do that?" Izzy asked. "None of us can use the Force anymore to locate him."

"No," said TK. The left corner of his mouth rose suggestively before he laid eyes on Yolei and Cody. "But _they _can."

The two children fidgeted nervously as the five Jedi looked at them. They weren't sure if they were ready for what the group was asking of them. All they wanted to do was just go back home where it was safe.

"No way!" Yolei shook her head fiercely. "Nope! Not gonna happen!"

"You don't have a choice," said Tai. "Davis is in trouble, and we need to find him before the Emperor does something horrible to him. You guys are the only ones who can sense his Force energy."

"But how do we even do that?" Cody shot.

"I didn't sign up for this!" Yolei wailed. "I don't fight at all, nor do I want to do it."

Before Tai could give them a harsh slap of reality, Sora stepped forward with that comforting smile she always seemed to have when needing to diffuse a situation. Yolei was confused as Sora clapped her hands on her shoulders.

"Yolei," she said, her eyes never leaving the younger girl's as they emitted the warm kindness that Sora was known for. "I have this friend that you'll probably meet soon. Her name is Mimi, and she is a lot like you. She didn't want to fight at all when we first came here, even though she knew she had to. She did it for all the friends we had lost, for us, and for the Digital World. Sometimes there are things that are bigger than yourself that you have to do, even if you don't want to. They may seem scary at first, but you do it without thinking after a while. This is one of those times."

Sora's words seemed to get through to the lavender-haired girl, but there was still a flash of hesitation in her eyes.

"What if I mess up?" she murmured as she looked down at the ground. "What if we can't find Davis?"

"We'll all be here to help you," Sora assured her as she turned to her teammates. "Right, guys?"

"Yeah," Tai nodded, followed by Izzy, TK, and Kari.

That little action did wonders for Yolei's confidence. Her eyes brightened, and a smile worked its way on the corners of her lips. She wiped any remaining tears on her face away before she stood back up.

"What are you guys waiting for, jungle to be bulldozed down?" she said confidently. "Let's get going and find Davis!"

"Hold on," said Tai, admiring Yolei's spirit, but bringing her back just a little. "Where do we go?"

Yolei's brief burst of confidence passed. She wasn't sure where to go. She gazed back at Sora, pleading for help with her eyes. Sora instantly understood.

"Just relax your mind and focus," she said. "You'll know Davis' Force energy when you sense it. There will also be the energy of everything else near us. Ignore all the distractions and concentrate on his."

Yolei nodded and closed her eyes. The energy of the trees, the ground, other living creatures, and the Jedi all flooded her mind. It was almost overwhelming to her, but she disregarded those distractions like Sora had told her. She concentrated on an energy speaking to her from deep within the mountains nearby.

Her eyes opened.

"I know where he is," she murmured before her legs heeded the command from her brain to start running. "Come on!"

The others followed, unsure of what they would find.

* * *

Davis woke up lightheaded like he had run a marathon without stopping to drink water. His whole head hurt as his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness around him. He found himself deep within a cave with no light around it, spread-eagled on a wall with his arms bound at the wrist to two metal cuffs. Two feet away, his lightsaber was placed on a small wooden crate.

"What's going on?" he muttered, wondering what had happened.

An evil snicker echoed across the cave, sending shivers down the boy's spine as he turned his head in all directions for the source. Even if he couldn't see them, he could still sense their presence.

"How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail," the familiar, snide voice recited with a chuckle. "And pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale. How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws." The voice seemed to be getting closer and closer as the rhythm of the poem became slower and darker with each second. "And welcomes little fishes in with gently…smiling….jaws."

Nose-to-nose with him was the Digimon Emperor. Davis threw his head back in shock at the Emperor's sudden appearance and he hit his head against the rock wall. Pain shot through him for a brief moment until his terror took over again.

"Look what I have caught in my web," the Emperor snickered. "A worthless little insect, begging for me to eat him."

"Then why don't you just kill me now?" Davis shot back, posturing to make himself seem tougher than he actually felt right now.

The Emperor laughed his terrible laugh once more. "Defiant to the last, aren't you," he smirked. "Davis Motomiya."

Davis gasped, surprised that the tyrant knew about him too. "How do you know me?" he asked.

"I know everything there is to know about you," the Emperor continued. "You're in fifth grade at Odaiba Elementary, you play soccer for the local soccer team, and you have an older sister, Jun, that you absolutely cannot stand. Not to mention, you have an extensive manga collection." Stunned silence greeted him, which led to another snicker. "Was I right?"

Davis' mouth was agape as he slowly nodded his head. He would have been impressed if it wasn't for the fact that the Emperor was evil. He didn't want to compliment somebody not worthy of it.

"Good."

A small jet of lightning erupted from the Emperor's fingertips and sailed towards Davis. He twitched as the electricity surged through him, gasping in surprise. Before he could get his breath back, a much larger burst of lightning darted for him. Davis screamed in agonizing pain, his screams bouncing off the cave walls over the sound of surging electricity.

Finally, after twenty seconds, the lightning stopped. Davis breathed heavily to recover from the onslaught that he had just received.

"You know, Davis," The Emperor stepped slowly towards the boy with every word that he spoke. "If you think being a member of the Destined Jedi is the greatest thing to ever happen to you, you may want to think again."

"How so?" Davis replied. "I think it _is _the coolest thing that has happened to me."

"Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Just ask your friend, Tai Kamiya."

"What do you mean?"

The Emperor snickered. "These beings that you call Digimon, they don't operate under the same moral codes that you and I do. Their society as a whole has no place for any of us humans. They're animals; feral creatures that live under the law of the jungle. To them, you're just a freak. Like me."

"I am nothing like you!" Davis hissed, glaring right at the boy across from him.

"Don't talk like you're one of the Jedi yet. You're not. Even if you'd like to be. These Digimon and this Digital World may need you now, but they'll cast you out when they don't. The original Destined Jedi learned that lesson the hard way. They left the Digital World open for the Dark Masters to take power and destroy almost everything when they came to our world. Many Digimon grew to hate them, and they still do. Someone needs to bring these creatures to heel, and make them realize who their masters really are."

"You're sick!" Davis hissed.

_Pshew! _

The Emperor now stood with his bright blue lightsaber glowing at his side. He raised the blade slowly until it was merely inches from Davis' face.

"I am not sick. I am simply bringing order to a world that has been mired in chaos for the past two and a half years. The Digital World was at war with itself and needed a leader to rise up and unite them. I have done that," he proclaimed. "But now you and the other pesky Jedi stand in my way."

The blue blade inched ever closer to the bound Destined Jedi. Even so, Davis never let the tyrant see him sweat as he glared at him.

The Emperor smirked playfully. "Why so serious?"

Before the Emperor could jab his saber into Davis' cheek, something came flying in and kicked him down the cave corridor. The attack was so sudden that it jolted his lightsaber from his hand. The chorus of seven lightsabers activating filled the cave walls.

Tai led the group of four blue lightsabers that belonged to Sora, TK, Kari, and himself. Izzy led the group of green lightsabers that were him, Yolei, and Cody.

TK and Tai rushed forward to cut Davis free from the wall. He rubbed his wrists, sore from the sensation of bone rubbing against the metal of his trappings, before calling his lightsaber to his hand and unleashing the blue blade within.

"There's nowhere to run, Emperor," said Kari as the Jedi surrounded him. "Just give yourself over."

Despite the overwhelming odds against him, the Emperor still played things cool.

"You're right. There's just one problem with that," he said. "It is _you_ that has nowhere to run."

With one snap of his fingers, the mole Digimon emerged through the wall near the entrance to the cave, effectively cutting off their escape. The Emperor's maniacal laugh echoed through the cave as he escaped while the Jedi had their backs turned.

"Come back here, you coward!" TK roared as he took two steps toward the far side of the cave, but Tai stopped him.

"We'll get him next time, TK," he said. "But first, we need to deal with this guy."

The large mole Digimon came right at them with surprising speed. The newest Jedi were the ones who rushed forward, determined to show the older ones what they could do. Tai and the others stayed back and watched, but remained ready in case they needed to jump in.

"Over here, over here!" Davis cried as he dodged a paw coming down to slam him. "Too slow!"

Cody gazed at the creature in narrowed concentration, trying to find a way that they could defeat it without seriously hurting it. It was under the Emperor's control, and would go back to normal if they destroyed the Dark Ring. The ring was on its left forelimb, wrapped around like a bracelet.

He finally figured it out.

"Yolei, help Davis distract it," he ordered. "I'll take care of the ring."

"You got it!" the girl replied as she jumped in with Davis to distract the creature.

With its attention now focused on the two Jedi, Cody made his move. '_This is just like kendo,' _he thought. He held his saber like a shinai and leapt forward toward the mole's left forelimb. It must have known he was coming because it pounded a big, clawed paw on the ground next to him. Cody twirled away from it and plunged his saber into the Dark Ring on its wrist.

The collar disappeared in an instant. The mole's eyes returned to a normal violet color, now free from the Emperor's control. With the Dark Ring removed, it used its horn to drill deeper into the mountain.

Tai, Sora, and Izzy watched with a sense of pride as the younger Jedi celebrated their victory.

"I think these three can handle things alright," said Tai. "They've got the talent for it."

Izzy and Sora nodded, as did TK and Kari.

"Okay, team. Let's go home."

* * *

Once again, the group collapsed onto the floor of the computer lab in a heap. Tai landed on Izzy again while also being sandwiched between him and TK. Cody laid on top of Davis and the girls were piled on each other.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" Izzy whined as they all slowly untangled themselves from each other.

"We have got to find a better way to do this," Tai echoed his sentiments before looking outside. He shrieked in surprise, scaring everyone in the room. The afternoon sun they had left had now transformed into the black of night.

"I am so dead!" Yolei cried as she ran from the computer lab, followed closely by Cody. Everyone else soon filed out from the room, heading home to face the inevitable scolding they would get from their parents.

* * *

The Emperor watched in delight from the comfort of his throne as he typed in a few keys. He hoped to gain more knowledge about who these two new Jedi were. A good general always does research on his opponent before going into battle. On the massive wraparound screen, the information on Yolei and Cody appeared. His grin grew wider as he read.

"Now I know what makes you tick," he muttered. "And soon, you will all be mine. Nothing more than my little toys to play with."

A beeping came from the screen to his left. The Emperor switched over to it and accepted the transmission coming in. A hooded figure appeared on the screen, obscured by the darkness that surrounded it.

* * *

**Plenty of questions from that. Who is the mysterious figure the Emperor was talking to? Who is Daigo Nishijima, and what connection does he have to the group? All these answers will be revealed as we go along. Stick around for more "Destined Jedi". **

**In case you haven't figured it out by now, I knew I was consciously making the Emperor a bit like Heath Ledger's Joker. He's a bit more of a troll right now than an actual threat, despite what he just did to Davis. He'll eventually become a threat, but I wanted to start him off on a different note than what we got in the series. It's all for a purpose. Yep, Mimi is staying in Japan for now! **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Review, favorite, and follow if you haven't already. It's going to be interesting to see where the story goes next. See you guys next week. **


	3. Hope and Light

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Glad you are :) It's turning out pretty good. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yup. Let's keep that between ourselves :)**

**Super Saiyan Odd 3: You'll find out here. Glad you are liking the story so far. **

**Guest: Maybe :) We'll see. Not sure I have that kind of pull.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 is here! Like I've said, things are going to be starting out a little bit differently with the group. This chapter features one prominent change that will be there for most of the story but I'm sure you guys will like it. **

**One other thing: THE 02 KIDS ARE COMING BACK IN LAST EVOLUTION!**

**So without further ado, here is chapter 3 of Attack of the Emperor.**

* * *

"So to find the radius, you must divide the diameter by two because the radius is one half of the diameter – "

Ken Ichijouji rested his head on top of the fist that was buried into his cheek, pushing the skin up to almost shut his left eye. Around him, his classmates copied down the teacher's notes studiously. He didn't need to do the same because he already knew the formula by heart.

Ken tucked a lock of raven hair out of his violet eyes back behind his ear. He was only eleven, but was an incomparable boy genius. He invented his own computer programs and was published by the time he was ten; he already was studying advanced college-level physics while his classmates were still dealing with basic math; and MIT, Harvard, Georgia Tech, and Stanford University in America were all bidding for him to make the jump to college already. He had received dozens of offers but was stuck in Tamachi Elementary School for now.

In short, he was a brilliant boy. So much that he had become a celebrity all around Japan. Everybody in the entire country wanted a piece of him; parents wanted their kids to be like him, and other kids wanted to be him.

He sighed and gazed around the classroom with an annoyed glare. _'What am I even doing here? There are better things to do than to sit and be with a bunch of morons like these. None of them are as brilliant as me. None.' _

"Ken, could you tell us what the answer is?" the teacher asked.

"Fifteen," he replied without even looking at the board.

"That's right. Good work, Ken. I wouldn't expect anything less from a boy genius."

"Oh, I just followed the formula," he laughed shyly. "It wasn't that hard."

The rest of the lesson passed by uneventfully with Ken answering several times and pretending that he just followed what he was taught. Soon, the bell rang to let school out.

Ken mindlessly went through his routine of walking to his locker to change from his school slippers to his regular shoes.

"Hi, Ken!" a few girls called to him.

Ken acknowledged them with a polite nod. His face grew dark as he slipped out of his slippers and into his regular shoes. They weren't as smart as him, so why should he waste his time and try to engage with them? They were all insects to him.

Walking down the streets of Tamachi, he heard all the excited whispers that followed him whenever he went anywhere. He couldn't help that he stood out because of his intellect; it was just who he was.

After a few more paces, he heard a yip near his feet and felt something tickling his foot. Looking down, he saw an Akita puppy licking his shoe affectionately. Any normal human being would have found it completely adorable and most likely pet the little thing.

But Ken regarded it with annoyance. His eyes narrowed in a frosty glare as the puppy looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"Go away," he hissed. A small strand of electricity shot from his fingertips towards the puppy. It yipped and whined as it ran away from him in terror. Ken watched it leave with a satisfied smirk and chuckled to himself before resuming his slow stride.

He walked several blocks, ignoring all of the stares and excited whispers that people made, until he finally reached his apartment building. It was two stories and was close to Tamachi station. He walked by the doorman without a hello and went upstairs to his apartment.

He took off his shoes in the genkan as he walked inside before stepping into slippers that waited on the edge of the hardwood floors. No one seemed to be home, but he sensed someone in the kitchen.

"Ken, is that you?" his mother called.

Ken huffed through his nose. He swore that his mother had super-hearing.

"Yes, it's me," he replied, keeping the contemptuous tone to a minimum as he walked past the kitchen. "How are you?"

"Oh fine," his mother said. She was holding a tray with a slice of cake and cup of tea on it. Mrs. Ichijouji was a lovely woman with curled medium-length reddish brown hair and pale blue eyes. "I'm just getting ready to go to work here. Your father won't be home until later."

"Meh," Ken shrugged. "Whatever. I'll be in my room." With a wave of his hand, he added, "You won't bother me."

"I won't bother you," Mrs. Ichijouji repeated as he walked to his room and closed the door behind him.

* * *

In Odaiba, the final bell sounded and the elementary and middle school students left their classes to go home.

On the soccer field, Tai was stretching his legs to prepare for soccer practice. He and the rest of the Odaiba Middle School team had a big game coming up, and they needed to be ready. As team captain, it was his responsibility to make sure they all did their best in practice.

On the other side of the field, Sora was also stretching. He glanced at her as she spread her legs and bent forward to stretch her back and hamstrings. His face became red as his eyes fixated on her butt, covered by the white shorts of her uniform and traced down her long, toned legs. Tai quickly turned to her face as she rose back up. She waved at him with a friendly smile, which he returned.

"Tai, aren't you coming with us?" asked Davis as he, TK, and Kari stood over the goggleheaded boy.

Tai shook his head.

"Nope. I've got practice," he said, looking up at the three children in front of him. "Next time. I'm certain of it. We have a huge game on Friday, and we need to be ready."

"It's all good," TK assured him. "Hopefully nothing too big will happen."

"But what if we run into trouble, TC?" Davis interjected.

TK felt a nerve throb in his temple. "TC?"

Kari quickly stepped in. "His name's TK, Davis," she corrected, giving him a stern glare before looking back to her brother. "Then who is going to lead us there? You're the leader of the Destined Jedi, Tai. We need you."

"I've been thinking about that lately, to be honest," said Tai. "Since us older kids will only come around when we can, someone is going to have to step up and lead you guys in my place when I'm not there. Kind of like a squad leader."

Davis' face brightened. He could just feel that Tai was about to name him leader. He was so sure of it. Something in the Force told him that it was going to be him that was named leader.

"TK, you have the most experience out of all the kids. I think you should be the one to lead them today."

The boy's face fell in an instant as he glared at TK. The blonde's face was bright red in embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Gee," he chuckled nervously, unsure of what to say at the moment. "I…I don't know what to say, Tai."

Tai gave a small smile as he took the goggles off of his head and planted them in TK's hands. Davis released a strangled cry.

"Say you'll do it," Tai encouraged. "I just need you to do it today. I believe in you, TK. There's no one I trust more than you to do it. You've been there from the beginning and know how we do things."

TK stared at the goggles in his hands reverently. He couldn't believe that Tai had given him his goggles: the ones that symbolized his position of leadership. It felt like he was being handed the keys to a Ferrari. Finally, he snapped out of his trance and looked back at Tai.

"I'll do it, Tai," he breathed, barely able to muster up his own voice as he bowed his head. "I won't let you down."

"Hey, Kamiya! Let's go!"

"Gotta go," Tai said as he ran to join his teammates. "Good luck, you guys!"

Davis snarled at TK under his breath like a Rottweiler as he and Kari turned around to head back towards the computer lab. His straight white teeth were bared dangerously and he had the killer look in his eye.

"What's the matter with you?" TK asked.

"That's it! I have just about had it with you, TS!" Davis roared. "I've known Kari since we were in the second grade, and yet you come in and buddy up with her like you've known each other forever. Then Tai gives you the title of leader. What makes you so special?"

"Davis, that's enough!" Kari chastised. She pressed her forearm against the boy's chest to keep him a reasonable distance from TK. "The two of you need to stop fighting. It's not going to solve anything."

"But, Kari –"

"No buts, Davis. I'm not going to keep breaking up fights between you two."

TK smiled at Davis with a slight bit of teasing. "It's no big deal, Kari," he said. "Don't worry about it. You want to know where I'm coming from, Davis, well I'll tell you. Imagine being eight years old and being thrust into a situation where you don't know what's going to happen on a particular day. You're being forced to survive because with one bad move, you may end up dead. I was forced to grow up fast in order to do my part in saving the Digital World. I dealt with the deaths of friends, our mentor, and was forced to not allow myself a chance to mourn them because we had to move on. So if you want another reason, I'm more than happy to provide you with one."

Davis stared wide-eyed at him. He had no idea about any of this. Being a Destined Jedi was certainly not easy, if TK was telling the truth.

"That's a hell of a place to be coming from," he said. "Okay. You're the boss, boss."

TK wrapped the goggles around his hat. "Then let's go. We're wasting time." He turned and walked back into the school building. Kari quickly followed, with Davis right behind her.

The three children turned down several corridors until they arrived at the computer lab. Davis slid the door open slowly to make sure that no one else was in there. If there were, they would have to wait until they left before going. They sighed in relief when they saw it was empty.

"Where are those other two kids?" asked Davis.

"Yolei said she'd be here soon," TK replied.

Right on cue, the lavender-haired girl popped through the door with a plastic bag full of goodies. Her family owned a convenience store, which gave her a never-ending supply of great snacks to bring for any occasion.

"Look what I brought," she announced as she laid everything out: Kit-Kat bars, Chu-Chu jelly, and other various sweets.

"Wow! Thanks, Yolei," said TK as he grabbed a matcha Kit-Kat.

"Thank you," Kari echoed.

Davis had a hard time keeping himself from drooling at the sight of so many tasty morsels.

"How'd you get all this?" he asked.

"My family owns a convenience store attached to our apartment building," she explained. "It's not as great as you would think though: I have to pay for everything I get."

TK checked the computer to make sure that the gate was open. Two days in a row of it being open was pure luck, but things fell quiet the rest of the week. It had been a few days since they had been able to go back.

To his surprise, the gate was open and waiting for them to jump into it.

"We're all set to go here, guys," he said. "Let's get moving."

"Alright!" Davis exclaimed.

But Kari noticed that someone was still missing.

"Hold on. Cody's not here yet."

"Who?" Davis asked, not recognizing the name at all.

Kari glared at him with an admonishing look. "The other boy that was with us the other day."

Davis thought about it for a second before the face finally came to him. "Oh. Him. Where is he?"

"Last I saw he was still eating his lunch," said Yolei. "Knowing him, he's not going to leave until he finishes the last bite. He never wastes anything, even when he's full. It was something his deceased father would always say."

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Yolei saw all the confused looks and understood what was going on.

"Right. You guys don't know," she realized. "Cody's father was a police officer when he was alive. He was assassinated a couple years ago in London while trying to protect the Japanese ambassador. Cody's still trying to cope with it. "

TK and Davis didn't say anything.

Kari sighed heavily. "Poor guy."

"Didn't mean to sadden things for you guys," Yolei apologized. "Why don't we watch some TV while we wait for him?"

She found the remote nearby and switched on the television behind them. It was stuck on the local news and was in the middle of a news report.

"_The winner of the national computer competition was none other than boy genius Ken Ichijouji," _said the female field reporter. _"He came up with a program that allows for instant tracking of anyone in the world. Intelligence agencies across the world are already bidding to be the first to use it." _

The report than went to a shot of the boy himself. Yolei felt a blush rise up on her face as she got a look at him. He was the most handsome boy she had ever seen in her life.

"_I'm just happy that of all the geniuses out there, I was the one who won," _he humbly said.

'_And so modest too,' _she swooned.

"_But there's more to this boy genius than just winning computer competitions. Ken is a master chess player, a math genius, a black belt in judo, and he led Tamachi FC to the city championship the last two years in a row. Is there anything this genius boy can't do?" _

"_Well, I don't like to think I can do everything," _Ken shrugged. _"I just try to be the best that I can be. It's like everything I touch turns to gold. I can't explain it." _

A shot of two people who the group assumed to be his parents then came up. Surprisingly, Ken didn't look like either one of them. His father was a tall, burly man with curly brown hair while his mother was a petite, sweet-looking lady.

"_I'm here now with Ken's parents. Mrs. Ichijouji, what did you and your husband do to raise such a clever boy? _

"_We didn't really do anything special," _replied Mrs. Ichijouji. _"Just gave him love and fostered his dreams."_

"_It was really like the ugly duck laying the golden egg," _Mr. Ichijouji chuckled nervously. _"He just had all of this in him from the beginning and it came out." _

"_Well, that's the story on one Ken Ichijouji. What will he do next? We'll find out. Rukia Inuhara, NHK." _

With that, the news report was over. No one said a word for they were too stunned to speak. Who knew that someone so amazing as that was no older than them? It was amazing to think of.

"Wow," Davis finally said, staring wide-eyed at the television. "He looks like Uryū Ishida."

TK and Kari exploded into giggles.

Yolei was confused. "Who?"

"The guy from _Bleach_," Davis took a copy of Shonen Jump out of his backpack and held it out for her. A bookmark was lodged between the pages at the back. Yolei opened it to the marked section. Once she saw what Uryū looked like and compared it to Ken, she chuckled with TK and Kari.

"I heard that he's so brilliant that he is being recruited for American colleges already. Top ones too."

The kids jumped at the unexpected voice. They looked down. Cody was standing between Kari and Davis, staring at the television.

"Cody!" Yolei exclaimed. "When did you get here?"

"Just now, thank you," he replied.

"Now that we're all here, let's get going to the Digital World," TK said. "Who knows what the Digimon Emperor could be up to today."

As everyone gathered around the computer, Davis stepped in front.

"Allow me to do the honors," he boasted as he raised his arm up to the computer. He concentrated hard as a mix of blue and orange light flickered from the symbol on his wrist. The computer reacted to it as a bright light engulfed the children into it.

* * *

A pair of Digimon charged at each other with reckless abandon. Their heads collided with the power of a wrecking ball against a building before falling to the ground. The two glared at each other and went right back at it like nothing ever happened. The Dark Rings around their necks gave them amazing stamina.

The Digimon Emperor watched in sadistic delight as the Digimon fought each other. He felt like a powerful Caesar watching gladiators fight in the Coliseum from his throne above the arena.

He laughed when one of the Digimon was super-kicked four feet into the wall behind them. It struggled to pick itself up because the pain was becoming too great, even with the Dark Ring around it.

The Emperor frowned as his entertainment was becoming wasted. He cracked his whip down onto the defenseless Digimon.

"Get up and fight!" he ordered as the lash struck it on the back. "You're wasting my time laying there. Move!"

"Y-Yes, my lord," the Digimon replied as it finally stood up, fearful of being struck again by the whip.

"Now, don't stop until one of you is completely destroyed!"

The two Digimon mindlessly obeyed and resumed their battle. As the Emperor settled in to watch, a familiar presence made itself known to him. He turned back towards the forest with an annoyed glint in his eye.

"They're back," he hissed.

* * *

The Destined Jedi found themselves in the middle of a forest after coming through the gate. The trees stood thick and tall, making the area around them feel dark and sinister.

"Alright, troops. Let's go," said TK as he led the small group of five down the path. Twigs and tree roots littered the dirt ground beneath them, scratching their feet if they weren't watching where they were going.

"What's our plan, TK? What are we looking to do?" asked Yolei.

TK ducked down as a low branch nearly smacked him dead in the face. "Watch your heads," he cautioned before answering her question. "We find the Emperor, capture him, and discover who he really is. If we find out his real identity, then we can stop him in the real world."

"But what if he's not real? What if he's just a creation of the Digital World?" Davis said, almost tripping over a root. "Then what do we do?"

"He's real. Trust me."

After a few more yards, the darkness of the forest did not lighten up in the slightest. In fact, it became even darker. So dark that it could almost be confused for night time rather than mid-afternoon.

"Hold on," said Davis, carefully scanning the area.

"What is it, Davis?" Kari asked. "Do you sense something?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded.

"I feel it too," said Cody.

"Me too," Yolei added.

TK scanned the forest for anything that they could have sensed. Since he didn't have as strong of a connection to the Force, he couldn't feel what it was. There was nothing around.

"What did you feel?" he asked.

"It's a powerful energy coming from somewhere," Davis replied. He pointed down the path. "I think it's up this way. Let's find what this is first and then we'll try and find the Emperor."

A familiar, chilling, evil laugh rang through the forest.

"I think he just came to us," Cody muttered.

The group turned to look behind them and were stunned to see the Emperor right there.

"Why let you go to all the trouble to find me when I can just come to you myself?" he chuckled. "You wanted me, now here I am."

Davis wasted no time in going right for him. The blue blade of his lightsaber jetted out in the blink of an eye as he leapt for the Emperor.

"Davis, wait!" Kari cried, but it fell on deaf ears as Davis slashed through the Emperor's torso. The blade went right through like he had swung at air. Davis fell to the ground face first.

"What the –" he exclaimed as the Emperor cackled viciously.

"Do you honestly think something like that would work on me?" he snickered. Now that the group got a good look, they could see that it was a hologram of the Emperor that stood before them. "You're more foolish than I thought, Davis."

His attention turned to Cody and Yolei.

"Yolei Inoue," he smiled at the girl. He then glanced down at Cody. "And Cody Hida. It is an honor to officially meet the two of you."

"Wish I could say the same," Cody glared at him as the rest of the group activated their lightsabers.

"Yeah! We're gonna take you down, pretty boy!" Yolei shot.

The Emperor cackled again. "Oh please. You foolish children do not scare me. You Destined Jedi should not even be here in the first place. Not after you and your friends abandoned the Digital World for the Dark Masters to take over, TK."

TK glared at him. "We had no choice to do what we did last time," he said. "Myotismon was going to destroy our world if we stayed."

"Shut up, Goggle Boy. That's not how the Digimon see it," the Emperor smirked. "They told me straight from their little mouths. They hate you, and they don't want you around anymore. What is the point in fighting for those who would rather see you dead than have you help them? You don't belong here!"

"You sure like to run your mouth a lot," Kari glared at him. "Come out and face us yourself, you coward!"

Another laugh came from the trees. The hologram of the Emperor disappeared and was replaced with a view of the real tyrant himself. His blue lightsaber hummed menacingly as he stood on top of a tree branch and jumped down.

"The Destined Jedi are nothing but a pestilence that should be removed from my world," he said. "None of you are worthy of being as perfect as me. Go now before I destroy all of you!"

"Fat chance of that!" TK had heard enough, and jumped in to engage the Emperor.

The two traded swift strikes at the other, with both blocking effortlessly. TK briefly knocked his opponent's lightsaber out of his hand, but the Emperor backhanded him across the face before calling it back. The two moved their blades swiftly back and forth like rapiers before locking them together.

TK gritted his teeth to put more strength into his arms as he pushed against the Emperor, who was also pushing back. The two were locked in a stalemate. Finally, they broke apart, with the Emperor pushing TK back with a Force wave before he could regain his senses.

As the Emperor celebrated his triumph, Cody leapt in to engage him. Yolei quickly followed, even though she didn't know what to do with her weapon. Cody used his kendo background to guide him through the fight as he twirled and struck like an acrobat in the circus. He and his female friend were doing the best they could to keep the Emperor occupied.

"Davis, take TK and Kari and go find that thing!" the boy cried as he parried a strike. "We'll handle things here!"

"Got it!" Davis replied as he ran in the direction he sensed the Force energy coming from. TK and Kari quickly followed as the sounds of the battle grew fiercer behind them.

"I hope those guys know what they're doing!" said TK, pumping his legs harder than ever to keep up with the burgundy-haired boy. Davis was using the Force to give himself a burst of speed.

The three of them were now deeper into the forest. It was all a blur as they continued running for a few more yards. Davis suddenly stopped. TK and Kari had to react quickly and slid to a stop so they didn't bump each other.

"We're here," said Davis.

TK and Kari looked past him to see a giant cave in front of them. The front entrance was dug into the side of a cliff in perfect symmetry. The three Jedi saw a dim light from deep within the cave beckon to them, begging for them to come inside.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Davis?" asked Kari.

"Yes, I'm sure," Davis nodded confidently.

TK adjusted the goggles on his hat and stepped inside first, then Kari, and finally Davis made up the tail end of the line. The cave was dark and damp as they walked in, but the light they saw slowly became brighter the further they ventured inside.

The three were greeted by what looked like large steps that were made for giants. The ledge was as tall as TK's neck, but it looked stable enough for them to climb on. TK went first before assisting Kari up, followed by Davis.

"Look there!" the girl said, pointing to the back of the cave.

The two males followed her finger. TK's eyes widened at what he saw. The light that was beckoning them earlier had been separated into two different rays: one yellow, and one pink. On the wall were two familiar symbols to TK and Kari.

"There's the symbol of Hope!" the boy cried, staring at the shooting star carved into the stone.

"And the symbol of Light," Kari added, pointing to the star-like carving.

"But what are they doing here?" asked Davis. "Does this mean there are more Destined Jedi like us?"

"That's impossible!" TK denied. "We're the only ones we know of. Aw man! You've gotta be kidding me."

"Calm down, TK," said Kari. "Maybe this is just like what happened with Tai when he touched the symbol of Courage."

TK stared at her confounded. "All that did was transport the lightsabers to Davis, Yolei, and Cody. That didn't really do anything for us."

"We should just try it," she pressed. "It's up to you, TK. After all, you are our leader on this mission."

She was right, TK realized. He was the leader of this mission. It was up to him to determine whatever they did. The more he gazed at the two symbols on the wall, he felt something he had not felt in a long time take hold of him and grow with each passing second. It felt like the Force was calling to him again.

"Let's go touch them," he finally said as he began to walk. "No harm ever came from just trying."

Kari followed behind as they now stood inches from the symbols on the wall. Their fingers slowly drifted up the rock wall until finally making contact with the middle of each symbol. The lights from earlier flashed brightly, filling the entire cave. Davis shielded his eyes, as did TK and Kari.

Something burst inside of the two Jedi like the foundation of a dam crumbling as a rush of power shot through them. Smaller bursts of light erupted from their wrists as the lights from the symbols on the wall started to fade.

When TK and Kari opened their eyes, they were ecstatic to see that the symbols had returned to their arms. Everything came rushing back to them as they could now sense everything going on around them. It felt like a hole inside them had been fulfilled at long last.

"It's about time you two returned," a snarky female voice said.

"Who said that?" Kari asked, gazing around the cave.

Two lights appeared on the floor before two creatures took their place. A guinea pig-like creature and a cat now stood before the Jedi. Davis was freaked out by this turn of events, but TK and Kari weren't.

"TK!" Patamon cried as he leapt into TK's arms.

"Patamon!" the boy greeted, sounding just as excited as the creature in his arms.

Kari and Gatomon joyfully embraced each other. It had been too long since they had been in the other's presence. Now that Kari had her connection to the Force again, they could communicate.

"Wow! You sprouted up like a weed, TK!" Patamon exclaimed after seeing how big the blonde had gotten.

"And I see you haven't changed a bit," TK scratched the Digimon on top of his head. Patamon moaned in delight. "How are you, Patamon?"

"Fine." Patamon then noticed the goggles on top of his head. "What are you doing with Tai's goggles?"

"He gave them to me. I'm the leader of the group for today."

Davis rolled his eyes as he cursed under his breath.

"Always knew you had it in you." Patamon beamed.

The smile on TK's face disappeared as he turned back to the entrance of the cave. He sensed trouble coming from the forest.

"Yolei and Cody are in trouble!" he exclaimed. "We have to go help them."

Kari nodded. "Right. Let's go."

"Be careful, you guys," said Gatomon. "This Digimon Emperor is stronger than anything you have ever faced."

"We will," TK and Kari nodded to their Digimon guardians.

"May the Force be with you."

Patamon and Gatomon disappeared in another short burst of light. The cave was now completely dark.

Without a second to lose, the three Destined Jedi ran out to save their friends.

* * *

Cody skidded across the ground until he came to rest merely inches from the cliff edge that led to the forest below. Yolei stood protectively over him as the boy recuperated on the ground. She glared at the Emperor across the way. He smirked at the two of them.

"Give it up already, kids," he said. "Face it, you shouldn't even be here."

"We have every right to be," Yolei snapped at him. "You can't tell us what to do!"

"Can I?" the Emperor sneered darkly at her. "You insects are really starting to get on my nerves. When are you going to get the idea that you are not wanted here? The Digital World may need you right now, but it will not hesitate to throw you out when it doesn't. It's mine now!"

Cody had recovered enough that he could sit up.

"Who said that this entire world belongs to you?" he challenged. "Controlling others just to make yourself feel powerful is one of the lowest things anyone can do. You're nothing but a monster!"

A look of rage crossed the Emperor's face as he glared at Yolei and Cody. With a raise of his hand, he lifted them into the air.

"You little runt!" he hissed. "I'll show you what happens when you talk to me that way. Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'"

A powerful Force wave hit the Emperor straight in the back. He fell three feet forward, releasing his grip on Cody and Yolei. TK, Kari, and Davis emerged from the trees, their lightsabers drawn.

Davis and Kari ran to their friends while TK stood over the Emperor.

"It's not very nice to pick on kids that are smaller than you," he snickered, wagged his finger like a scolding parent. "Why don't you pick on someone who's at least your size?"

"Like you?" the Emperor swept TK's feet out from under him. He tried to jump on top of him as he hit the ground, but the blonde was quick and curled his feet up to hit his stomach and kick him over.

TK got up and raised his saber over his head to slam it down on top of the Emperor, but the tyrant blocked the attack. TK pushed as hard as he could to break his defense, but the Emperor kicked him in the stomach.

"TK!" Kari cried as she jumped in to help him. She traded strikes with the Emperor to occupy him as long as she could so TK could recover. Their sabers locked together.

"It's no use, Kari," the boy sneered as they traded two more strikes before locking up again. "You're only delaying the inevitable. Your brother is not here to protect you now. He's a fool for trying to protect someone as pathetic as you. Little Miss I'm-So-Sweet-And-Innocent."

"Hey, Emperor!" TK jumped in and now it was two-on-one as he and Kari attacked the Emperor together. "Tai may not be here to protect her, but I am."

The tyrant sneered at him as he held their sabers at bay with a well-timed block. "While that may be the case today, it won't be every other time." He used the Force to push them away before they could react.

"I hate to cut this duel short, but I have some important matters to attend to. Ta-ta," he said before disappearing into the trees before any of the other Jedi could do anything, reciting the first stanza of the Jabberwocky as his voice faded away. _"And the mome raths outgrabe."_

"Coward!" Davis roared.

TK sensed this retreat wasn't an act of cowardice, but for something bigger and more nefarious that the poetry-chanting Emperor had in mind. Davis would have run after him if he didn't see the other four just standing where they were.

"I think we should go back to the computer lab." Cody suggested.

* * *

With a flash of light, the group of Jedi appeared back in the school computer lab. All things considered, their trip to the Digital World was a successful one with TK and Kari regaining their connection to the Force. But Davis could not let it go that the Emperor had gotten away again.

"This is starting to get old," he pouted. "We've only been doing this for a few days, and already this Emperor guy is on my nerves. We have to stop him."

Nobody seemed to listen. Kari and TK were studying something on the computer and Cody and Yolei were discussing something he couldn't understand. Davis' face turned beet red.

"YOU GUYS!" he yelled, finally getting everyone's attention.

"Geez, Davis. No need to yell," Yolei snapped. "Whatever you have to say, say it."

"I have been saying it," he shot back. "We need to stop the Emperor."

"What do you think we've been doing the past few days, twiddling our thumbs and playing patty cake?"

"Well, nothing we've been doing is working! We can't let this go on."

"ENOUGH!" TK's voice echoed throughout the room. Yolei and Davis stopped arguing and turned to face the blonde. "This is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves. We need a plan of attack because that is the only way we'll outsmart the Emperor." He thought for a second before adding, "I think we should talk to Tai and see what he thinks."

Kari nodded. "Good idea. He'll know what to do."

* * *

Tai rubbed his index finger against his forehead in thought as he absorbed everything that TK had just told him. He and Sora had just come out of their respective locker rooms before the younger kids cornered them and reported their day.

"This is definitely something we have never faced before," he mused. "Not even Piedmon was like this."

"So what do you think we should do, Tai?" asked Kari.

Tai went into deep thought once again. If the group had any chance to stop the Emperor, they were going to have to change their strategy. The tyrant had to be human because he knew about them and never seemed to come out at night based on what he had heard from Agumon. Not to mention that he was also no older than TK and Kari.

"Tai?" Sora said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The boy looked up and met her gaze. His mouth curved up slightly and he nodded at her, which she returned. They knew exactly what the other was thinking.

"We find out who he is in the real world and see if we can stop him that way," he finally said. "In the Digital World, he's all-powerful, but not here. If we find him, we can put an end to this faster than it began."

"I like that plan," Yolei nodded, followed by Cody and then everyone else.

"Good. I'll come with you guys tomorrow and help."

"Me too," added Sora. "It'll be Sunday, so no soccer practice."

TK took the goggles off his hat and stretched them out for Tai to take back. "Here are your goggles, Tai. You should have them back."

But Tai simply waved it off. "No, keep them. They look good on you, TK," he smiled. "Besides, someone has to be in charge full time when I'm not around."

Davis' face turned beet red in anger as he seethed quietly at the scene before him. He gnashed his teeth as TK put the goggles back on his hat. The blonde was now in charge for good.

* * *

**What will the Destined Jedi do next in their war against the Digimon Emperor? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Yes, TK will be the leader for the first part of the story. It's how I felt they should have done in the series because he and Kari were the most experienced. Don't worry. Davis will get his moment, but he's got some growing to do first before he can do that. This Ken Ichijouji guy is one interesting character. Wonder what he's hiding. And you cannot tell me that he and Ūryu Ishida from _Bleach _don't look similar. **

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter and excited for what's coming up next. As always, leave a review and subscribe because we have only just begun. We haven't gotten to the very interesting stuff yet. See you guys next week. **


	4. Dawn of the Crusade

**Reviews: **

**Ratchet McCloud: Thanks, Ratchet. Glad to have you onboard again. Hope you continue to review in the future. Glad you caught that reference XD**

**Yagami Kuzuki: Won't happen that way, but I think you'll like where things will be going as we get further into the story. **

**Ackbarfan5556: That's okay. You did a great job with your version of events. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: You'll find out pretty soon if you stick around ;-)**

**Music Chick: You'll find out soon ;-) Yes he is, even if where he was looking might have earned him a slap in the face if she noticed XD**

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: We will have to see. Nice to have you onboard for this. I hope you continue to review in the future.**

**Also want to thank Darkside69 and Rainpath of Thunderclan for the favorite and follows. **

* * *

**Welcome all to yet another chapter. I am encouraged by all the reviews I am getting from you guys, and things have not even picked up yet. Thank you all. A lot happens in this chapter, but that is all I will say. You will see in just a moment. Enjoy!**

* * *

Davis grabbed the last slice of toast from the toaster and slapped some butter on it, followed by some strawberry jam. Even though it was Sunday, a day to take things easy from everything, he couldn't do that. Not when the Digimon Emperor was on the loose.

He put his toast on a paper towel and brought it over to the table, joining a bowl of rice, miso soup, and a glass of orange juice as his breakfast. His parents were eating quietly, not paying him much attention. His father read the newspaper, and his mother sipped her coffee quietly.

"Itadakimasu," he clapped his hands together and gave thanks before picking up his chopsticks. He dove right into the rice, gulping it down with gusto. The noise he made as he ate his breakfast got the attention of everyone at the table.

"Hey, doofus. What are you doing eating in such a hurry on a Sunday?"

Davis glared at the owner of the voice. "None of your business, Jun. I've got stuff to do."

His sister Jun glared right back at him. She was taller than Davis by almost a foot with long, toned legs. Unlike her brother, her skin was much lighter and fair compared to his dark tan. The only things they had in common were burgundy hair and brown eyes. Jun was an average fifteen-year-old girl: crazy about boys, particularly Matt Ishida, and liked all the other things girls her age liked.

"What kind of stuff?" she pressed.

"I said it's none of your business! Leave me alone!"

"Davis, that's no way to talk to your sister," his mother chastised.

Jun shrugged off her brother's harsh words. "Whatever. It can't be better than what I have today."

Davis groaned. For the last week, his sister wouldn't shut up about the concert she was going to today. Matt's band, The Teenage Wolves, were playing near the Palette Town mall. It was all she had been talking about, and it was driving him insane.

"I don't wanna hear anymore about it," he said between bites of food.

"You're so immature, you know that? Matt is the absolute cutest, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get his autograph today!" Jun's mind wandered into a fantasy of Matt telling her she's the one for him. "Maybe he'll even ask me out on a date."

Davis smacked his face against the table to drown out her teenage rambling.

'Someone please kill me!'

"Ugh! I've had enough of this. I'm outta here," he muttered, losing his appetite. He got up from the table and ran straight for his room.

The bedroom was a shrine to several manga series that he liked: Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, and Captain Tsubasa most of all. Shelves lined the far wall with all sorts of manga sitting on them, organized by series and volume. A poster of Hidetoshi Nakata was on the wall above his bed, along with several other soccer pennants and posters that were scattered around the room.

His eyes focused on the lightsaber sitting on his desk and went to pick it up. He holstered it to his waist and took off, ready for what awaited him and the other Destined Jedi today.

* * *

_Whip!_

"Move it, you slugs!" The Emperor roared as he whipped the group of Digimon some more. The creatures winced when the lashes struck them, but did as instructed and moved a little faster through the forest

After his encounter with the Destined Jedi the previous day, the Emperor was in a bad mood. What gave those kids the gall to try and challenge him? Without him, the Digital World would still be in a state of civil war with no peace or security. He brought order when there was chaos. They should be thanking him.

The tyrant frowned as his captives slowed down again.

"I said speed it up!" he whipped them several times. The Digimon grunted in pain, but once again did as asked and picked up the pace.

Up in the trees, a mini telescope peaked through the branches. It was so unnoticeable that a hawk's vision would be needed to see it. Tai watched the display of cruelty with disgust as the caravan made their way through the forest. He followed where they were going and saw what looked like a town on the other side of the forest. Or so it seemed. He saw guard towers and barbed wire, along with cells.

Sora crawled on the branch with the speed of an inchworm to keep it from collapsing until she was right beside him. The other kids were further back on the tree branch.

"What do you see?" she whispered.

"There's a prison complex on the other side of the forest," Tai responded quietly. "It doesn't seem well-guarded, but that may just be a bluff. The Emperor is taking that group of Digimon there."

"Come on," Davis hissed impatiently. "We can take him!Let's ambush him and free those Digimon."

"Patience, Davis," Tai chided as he continued watching.

"Come on, Tai! We can't keep sitting here and waiting," Kari protested. "Those Digimon are suffering."

"I know, Kari, but we need a plan first."

The younger Destined Jedi were steaming with fury and contempt for the Emperor. How he could treat innocent beings like this? It went against everything that was decent and right. He was not going to get away with it.

"Alright," Tai finally said after a few more minutes. "Let's move out."

"Wait! What are we doing?" Yolei asked.

"We're going to sneak into the complex and free as many Digimon as we can," Tai explained. "Then, with the Emperor distracted, we'll capture him and discover his real identity. Stick to the shadows. We're doing this as quietly and under-the-radar as we can. Don't arouse suspicion, and don't engage in any combat unless absolutely necessary."

TK adjusted the goggles on his hat.

"All right, you heard the man. Let's go!" he said.

The seven of them slid down the tree trunk and landed on the ground with a soft thud. Except for Davis. He lost his grip on the way down and hit the ground hard on his back.

"Ow," he groaned before being pulled up by Tai.

"Quiet," the leader hissed.

"Sorry."

The Jedi used the bushes as cover and quietly moved through the forest, following the Emperor's caravan until they arrived at the prison. The forest gave way to an open plain. The group stayed behind the foliage to keep their cover until the Emperor disappeared behind the gates with the Digimon.

"Let's split into teams," Tai whispered. "Sora, you go with me; TK, take Kari and Davis; Yolei and Cody, you guys go together. Remember, we want to do this as quietly as possible. If you get in trouble, abort your mission and run back here."

"Got it," the group nodded before splitting off. Tai and Sora went to the left; TK, Kari, and Davis took the middle; and Cody and Yolei took the right. It was a perfect pincer formation. The Emperor wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

"This will be your new home until further notice," the Emperor said to the imprisoned Digimon. He noticed their sad faces. "You all should feel honored to be selected by me for such a worthy cause. You will bring peace and security to the Digital World by serving me."

The Digimon nodded sadly as the Emperor locked their cell and went away. A few moments after he left, Tai and Sora rounded the corner and stood in front of the cell.

"Destined Jedi!" the group gasped excitedly.

"Don't worry. We're gonna get you out of here." Tai assured them.

The blue blade of his lightsaber emerged and he swiftly cut the steel bars of the cell. The Digimon did not waste any time and fled. Tai and Sora repeated the process for all the other cells around the area, and soon the whole wing was flooded with escaped Digimon.

"Let's go find the Emperor," said Sora.

Tai smiled and nodded. "Right."

* * *

TK, Kari, and Davis hid behind the corner as guards hovered around the center wing of the prison. The guards were Vegimon, small yellow vegetable-like Digimon with long arms and Indian-like headdresses on top of their heads. They were talking about something.

"Man, I'm sure glad we aligned ourselves with the Emperor," one said. "It's more fun being on his side than against him."

"You can say that again," another agreed. "Better than being among those poor unfortunate souls that oppose him."

TK couldn't believe what he was hearing. Some Digimon actually aligned with the Emperor? It was almost unfathomable, but he knew there were evil Digimon that would try and take advantage of his presence.

"What do we do, TK?" Kari whispered.

Before TK could reply, Davis jumped in with his own idea.

"We take those guys out and free the prisoners," he said.

TK sighed with annoyance. "We're supposed to do this quietly. There's five of them and three of us. They might raise the alarm. Jeez, with how much noise you're making, it's a wonder the whole place doesn't know we're here."

"Well, bring them on. I prefer a straight fight to all of this sneaking around," Davis shot back. "It's not going to get us anywhere."

"Both of you stop it!" Kari whispered harshly. "Davis, TK is right. We have to be quiet in order to make this work."

While Davis pouted, TK analyzed the area for ways to get around the guards. He looked from the vegetable Digimon to an alleyway that was near them. It slowly came to him.

"Wait here. I'm going to sneak around and distract the guards," he explained. "You guys wait for my signal."

"Wait!" Davis exclaimed, but TK already jumped onto the roof using the Force to provide him with a boost. He frowned. "Always on the move."

"It wouldn't be an issue if you just obeyed the plan every once in a while," Kari snapped. "Your heart's in the right place, Davis, but just rushing in and fighting isn't going to take care of everything for us."

Up on the roof, TK looked down at the guards below, careful not to cast a shadow on the ground and potentially have them see it. The Vegimon continued laughing and carrying on, unaware of the Jedi above them. He spotted a scrap piece of metal, and knew what to do.

TK closed his eyes and concentrated on the piece, raising his hand like he was raising a cup to his mouth. The piece of metal floated into the air and was cast away. The loud bang echoed across the street.

"What was that?" a guard proclaimed as the five Digimon went off to investigate the noise.

TK gazed down at Kari and Davis and signaled them that the coast was clear. The two of them rounded the corner and took off down the street with the guards' attention elsewhere.

They ran down two blocks before ducking into an alleyway. A soft thud hit the ground next to them. Their hands went to their sabers as they turned, only to see TK's smiling face.

"Hey, gang," he greeted. "Let's go free some Digimon."

He led them out of the alley, checking down the street to make sure there weren't any guards around. He didn't sense any nearby, so the coast was clear for them to move on. Softly and quickly like shadows, they moved their way down the street until they arrived at a cellblock. There were no guards surrounding it, which surprised them.

"Nobody's around. Let's go!" Davis said, touching his hand to his lightsaber to jump out. TK and Kari both stopped him.

"Wait! It's too easy," TK whispered. "This doesn't feel right to me."

"You worry too much, TJ! Let's get them!" Davis shoved him and Kari off and leaped out from behind the building and ran towards the cells. His blue lightsaber slashed through the bars like a hot knife through butter. The Digimon poured out from their cells and ran for the exit to the prison.

Davis smiled as he watched them leave, but was met with TK and Kari's angered faces when he turned around.

"What?" he asked, wondering what the problem was.

"Are you stupid, or do you deliberately not listen to anything I tell you?" TK hissed through gritted teeth. "What if the Emperor set a trap for us and you doing what you just did tripped it? We'd be in trouble!"

Davis glared back at him. "My gut told me that it was okay!"

This only made TK even more upset. "That's the thing, Davis!" he growled, getting in the boy's face. "There are times to listen to your gut feeling, but then there are times where you have to listen to what the team tells you. Tai said we were doing this quietly, and you deliberately disobeyed those orders. How are we going to trust you if you can't follow orders?"

"It worked, didn't it?" Davis shot back, his forehead butting into TK's. "And you're only leader because Tai gave it to you. You didn't earn it."

Davis stomped off, leaving TK and Kari stunned at what transpired.

Kari patted TK on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. He just takes some getting used to," she assured him.

"He's got to learn how to work within the team setting," TK said. "He can't go running off on his own like that." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Hey, Kari. Do you think I'm worthy of being a leader?"

"Of course you are. Tai wouldn't have named you leader if he wasn't sure you could do it." Kari smiled at him. "I believe in you, TK."

TK's cheeks glowed red as a bashful smile played on his lips. "Thanks, Kari. Let's go finish our mission."

"Right."

* * *

Cody and Yolei watched the cellblock on the east side of the prison to make sure no guards were present before making their move. The coast seemed to be clear, but Cody sat with his legs crossed and eyes closed to use the Force and make sure everything was fine.

His eyes opened. "It's clear," he said. "Let's go."

With a nod, Yolei jumped down from the roof. The boy followed right behind her and they carefully made their way through the alleyway. There were twelve Digimon held captive in the cellblock. Time was of the essence.

Yolei and Cody peeked around the corner and analyzed what to do.

"Cody, you take the ones on top," said Yolei. "I'll take the bottom ones."

"Okay," the boy nodded. "On the count of three. One. Two."

"Three is a magic number," a voice sneered.

The two Jedi stiffened with surprise. They slowly turned to look behind them.

The Emperor gazed at them with that sadistic smirk that he always seemed to have. It was like he enjoyed messing with them.

"Hi, guys," he said. "Nice day we're having."

* * *

Outside the entrance of the prison, five of the Destined Jedi reunited with each other, one part of their mission complete. There was just one thing missing.

"Did you guys find the Emperor?" TK asked Tai, who shook his head.

"No. Did you?"

"Nope."

Tai suppressed a growl. "When you want him to show up, he doesn't. It's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."

"Is he even still here?" asked Sora.

A familiar laugh rang out, along with muffled cries for help.

"Don't worry. I'm here. Along with a couple of your friends."

The group looked up to the top of the prison walls. The Emperor stood with his trademark smirk, and Yolei and Cody floating in the air beside him. Metal cuffs bound their wrists, and duct tape covered their mouths.

"Let them go, Emperor!" Tai demanded. His hand went to his lightsaber, but the Emperor stuck up a finger to halt him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We shouldn't play like this," he said mockingly. "Someone may get hurt."

"The only person who will be hurt today is you!" Davis shot at him, ready to leap up to his position. TK knew what he was thinking and kept him at arm's length. The group stared up at the Emperor, not knowing what he was going to do next.

The tyrant looked at Yolei with an interested gaze. The girl's honey brown eyes narrowed with hatred for him. His hand caressed her cheek and brushed through her hair. Yolei thrashed at his touch, determined to slap him silly if only her hands weren't bound.

"Why so serious?" he snickered. "A frown does not suit your lovely face, Yolei. I think I know a way that we can help put a smile there."

_Snap-hiss_.

Her eyes went wide when his lightsaber emerged just inches from her face. Cody helplessly watched from the side, unable to move or do anything as the Emperor inched his lightsaber to Yolei's tape-covered mouth.

"You wouldn't, Emperor! Let them go!" Sora shouted at him, knowing exactly what he planned to do.

"You honestly think I won't do it?" The Emperor sneered at her. "You are just as foolish and naïve as I imagined you to be, Sora. Give yourselves up, and your friends will be spared. Continue to resist me, and your friend will have a permanent smile etched into her face."

Suddenly, a group of large Digimon emerged from the foliage and surrounded the Jedi, catching them completely off guard.

"I would love it if you all would accompany me back to the yard."

* * *

"THIS ISN'T A YARD!" Davis yelled. "IT'S A JAIL!"

The other Jedi sent annoyed looks his way, but the boy ignored them and sat back down on the floor. The Emperor had thrown them all into a jail cell until they, as he put it, "learned to cooperate" or something. He recited more maniacal poetry before leaving the area and keeping some Vegimon on guard.

"This is unbelievable," Davis fumed. "How did it get this bad?"

TK glared at him. "We wouldn't be here now if you had just stayed quiet like you were told to."

"Shut up, TA!"

"Davis!" Kari admonished.

"Both of you knock it off," Tai ordered. The two boys instantly went silent. "You need to learn to work together. No one can do this whole thing alone. When you go off in your own directions, it breaks the team apart and you're an easier target. We would know that better than anyone."

"That's right," Sora nodded. "Together, the sum of the team is greater than its individual parts. Now, let's find a way out of here."

Davis activated his lightsaber. "Just leave it to me," he said with a confident smile before running to the metal bars. He swung his saber, but it didn't cut through the bars like he anticipated. Davis screamed in pain as an electric surge shot through him. He was thrown back into TK and Kari and the three of them fell to the ground.

A field of blue energy surrounded the bars, separating the prisoners from the outside.

"Ray shield," Tai noticed with a sigh. "Looks like we have no choice but to call in some help." He glanced over at TK, who nodded. He knew exactly who to call.

TK took out his D-Terminal and typed a message for Izzy.

_Izzy, we're in trouble. We got captured by the Emperor, and need some backup. Call the others and get someone here. Here are our coordinates:_

He finished typing the coordinates of their position and sent the message off. His eyes closed as he concentrated on finding Matt's energy in the real world.

_'Matt, help us.'_

* * *

The crowd was going crazy as the band onstage played a head-banging number. The Teenage Wolves were closing out their hour-long set. It had been a successful show, with girls screaming their heads off for every number.

_"If I go crazy then, will you still call me Superman? If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand? I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman mind. Kryptonite."_

Matt, dressed in a sleeveless black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, grey Vans sneakers, and wristbands on his wrists, finished the last words of the song and plucked his Fender Mustang bass rapidly along with his guitarist and drummer. He ran up and down the stage, pointing out at the crowd.

"Yeah!" he shouted into the microphone before leaping in the air and ending the song. "We love you guys. Thank you!"

The group walked offstage to thunderous applause.

* * *

After he finished changing, Matt walked out of the dressing room and was instantly swarmed by several girls wanting autographs. After being startled initially, he signed everything that was put in front of him. He was still trying to get used to how much attention the group, and him most of all, was getting, but tried to take it all in stride.

He got a second to breathe after the group of girls went away, but it didn't last long as another girl came running up to him. He recognized the girl as being in the front row during the show. She was screaming and going crazy the whole time.

"Oh my God! Matt, it's such an honor to meet you!" she shook with excitement. "You were so awesome during the show!"

Matt blushed bashfully. "Uh, thanks I guess," he said. "Do you want an autograph or something?"

The girl's brown eyes glittered in awe. "Yes! I'd like that!" she nodded before handing him her pen. She turned so her back was to him, gesturing to sign her shirt. "Make it out to Jun Motomiya."

Matt nodded and signed her shirt. Suddenly it hit him.

"Wait, you wouldn't happen to be Davis Motomiya's sister would you?" he asked.

She nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. But he's not important. Let's talk about you, Matt."

"Me?" he repeated, backing away as she got right up in his face. She followed him step for step. "I'm not that interesting. There's nothing to talk about."

"You don't have to be so modest, Matt. It's part of what makes you cute. Boast all you want about yourself." Jun then asked questions in rapid fire. "Are you single? Do you have a girlfriend? Wanna go out with me?"

_'Matt, help us.'_

That voice. It came from somewhere in his mind. Matt instantly recognized it as TK's. His phone then started to ring, like a blessing from the gods. He sighed internally.

"Excuse me," he said as he backed away several more feet from Jun. He answered the phone. "Hello?"

_"Matt, thank God. It's Izzy,"_ said the voice on the other line.

"Hey, Izzy. What's up?"

_"We've got trouble: Tai, Sora, TK, Kari, and the new kids were captured during their mission by the Digimon Emperor. Joe and Mimi didn't answer my calls. You're their only hope. Get to the school right away."_

Matt's eyes narrowed. This Digimon Emperor was starting to drive him crazy, and he hadn't even met him yet. Now,he had really crossed the line by kidnapping his brother and friends.

"I'm on my way," he muttered before hanging up. He turned back to face Jun. "I'm sorry, I must go. An emergency popped up. Nice meeting you, Jun." _'Not really.'_

"Okay. Well, you know how to reach me now, I guess," Jun waved after him as he ran. "Call me."

* * *

Matt burst through the door of the computer lab so fast that Izzy jumped about two feet in the air and screamed in surprise. It only took the computer genius one lookover to know that the blonde was angry about the situation.

"Matt, glad you could make it," he greeted.

But Matt was not in the mood for greetings. "Enough chit-chat, Izzy," he said dismissively. "Get me through to the Digital World. I'm going to show this guy what happens when you mess with my family and friends."

"Just a moment," Izzy began typing in the coordinates of the Jedi's last known position. "Okay, I won't send you directly to the prison because that will garner unnecessary attention. Instead, I'm going to send you about two clicks away. Your job is simple: get in, get them out, and free any other Digimon that you can. This needs to be done carefully otherwise the Emperor will likely kill them."

Matt nodded. "Got it."

"Be careful with this guy. He's not like any other opponent we've faced."

"I will."

"Don't give him something he can get ahold of and use against you. He's like a cobra. Give him an opening to strike, and he'll take it. Control your emotions."

"What are you, my mom?"

Izzy punched in a few more keys and a portal opened from the computer. Matt didn't hesitate and ran into it.

* * *

In the forest, the insects sang and the digital birds chirped, the humidity bore down on Matt's shoulders like a heavy weight. But he wasn't concerned with the weather. He had a mission to complete.

His yukata was royal blue with a powder blue tunic under it. The symbol of Friendship was also a powder blue color to contrast his yukata and the obi around his waist was alsoroyal blue.

"All right, Emperor. You want to mess with my friends, I'll mess with you back," Matt muttered before running down the path. His wooden sandals thumped against the ground as he ran through the forest. Too bad Matt couldn't unlock his super-speed to move even faster.

Matt grew more and more frantic as the forest passed by him. Who knew what the Emperor was doing to the group at this moment. Since his Force powers were gone, he couldn't sense what was coming his way.

Finally, the forest disappeared and he stood on top of a hilllooking down at the prison complex. Everything seemed calm, but Matt knew better and quietly proceeded down the hill.

The gate was unguarded, which surprised Matt. With the capture of the Jedi, Matt thought the Emperor would have beefed up his security by now.

_'He must be waiting for me,'_ Matt realized. He shrugged. _'Oh well.'_

He took his lightsaber from his waist and held it. He didn't ignite the blade, but had it on call just in case he ran into trouble. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary but Matt didn't want to take any chances. He ducked into an alleyway and swiftly navigated through the maze of buildings and streets without being detected. He looked through every window and cell to try and find his friends.

_'Come on, guys. Where are you?'_

"Looking for someone?"

Matt spun around at the sound of the sneering voice. The Emperor leered at him before jumping down to the alley.

"Matt Ishida, the Jedi of Friendship. I'll be."

"And you must be the Digimon Emperor," Matt returned with a glare. "I've heard a lot about you."

"All bad I hope," the Emperor returned. "My reputation precedes me it seems."

"More than you know." Matt restrained himself from jumping at the tyrant. He wanted to rip his throat out for capturing his friends. "Where are my friends? Why are you holding them?"

The Emperor snickered. "I wanted to see what you'd do. And you didn't disappoint, Matt." He glanced at the scar over Matt's eye. "That's a pretty nasty scar you have there. I'm sure it must have hurt when Tai gave it to you. It takes a second after the contact for the pain to kick in after thesaber touches your flesh and cuts you. It must have been unlike any pain you had ever experienced before."

Matt growled. "Enough of these games! Tell me where my friends are, you slimy little sh–"

"Ah, ah, ah, ah," the Emperor cut him off, wagging his index finger. "Watch your language. There are children here."

But Matt wasn't having it. He leapt at him before the tyrant could react and pinned him against the wall.

"Where are you keeping my friends?" he growled, his face mere inches from the Emperor's.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch," the Emperor recited with a maniacal glint in his eye. "Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."

Matt slapped hm. "Shut up! Where are they?"

The Emperor was enjoying every second of this. The further he continued, the more Matt's anger would grow. He heard about Matt's legendary short fuse, and he wanted to put it to the test.

"Right as we speak, they will be in the process of being moved somewhere," he said. "And I'm not going to tell you anything."

Matt put all of his rising anger into his fist as he punched the Emperor dead in the face. The raven-haired boy would have fallen if Matt hadn't grabbed him and brought him back. His lip bled in the right corner.

"Tell me now!"

"Nope. There's a limited amount of time, so you'll have to play my little game if you hope to save them," the Emperor smirked. "You don't have a choice, Matt."

"Like hell I don't."

The two stared contemptuously at each other, looking deep into the other's eyes. Matt tried with excruciating effort to restrain himself from activating his saber and killing the Emperor. His opponent, however, was digging into his mind. He smirked.

"You know, Matt," the Emperor finally said. "I too once had a brother. We were as close as could be. We did everything together. But then one day, he was gone. Poof! Out of here. I think you and I are not so different after all. One day, your brother was there, and the next minute, he was gone after your parents divorced. And now you'll lose him again."

That did it. Matt wound up the most strength he could into his fist as he delivered it to create a crater where the Emperor's face was. The tyrant dodged and Matt's fist went into the plaster wall, creating a large hole. His knuckles bled, but Matt was so drunk on adrenaline that he didn't feel a thing. His hand went to his lightsaber and unleashed the green blade within.

"Now we're talking," the Emperor snickered with a wide Cheshire cat smirk. His blue lightsaber blade emerged and the two didn't waste any time charging towards each other.

* * *

"LET US OUT! LET US OUT!" Davis screamed, but it didn't do any good because no one listened to his cries. The rest of the Jedi sat on the ground with their heads in their hands, trying to think of an escape plan.

"I SWEAR, EMPEROR, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I'M GOING TO –"

"Davis, will you give it a rest?" Yolei glared at him. "The Emperor can't hear you."

"Except for us, and it's hurting our ear drums," Tai quipped, earning a laugh from the rest of the group.

Davis glared right back at the lavender-haired Jedi. He was starting to get very annoyed with her.

"Oh yeah? Well, if you two hadn't got caught, then we wouldn't be stuck in here!" he pointed his finger at Yolei and Cody.

"Excuse me?" Yolei shot up from her seated position, staring daggers into Davis, who did the same. Cody sweatdropped nervously, caught up in the middle once again.

"Now let's just calm down, everyone," he said, trying to break the tension. "I think there's a middle ground here."

"SHUT UP, CODY!" Davis and Yolei shouted.

Tai tried to tune out the racket by analyzing every inch of the cell to try and find something they could use to break past the ray shield. As his eyes scanned the bars, he noticed something when he blinked. For a split second, the ray shield would cut in and out, but it would take highly perceptive eyes to notice it. Past the bars, the source of the rays were two LBMs on either side. It all came to him.

"Hey, TK," he whispered to the blonde-haired Jedi. "Think you can do something for me?"

"Sure. What is it?" TK asked.

"Watch this." Tai pointed to the bars, where the ray shield showed no signs of shutting down any time soon. TK watched the rays buzzing loudly until they cut out for a three-count and reappeared.

"You see that?" said Tai.

TK nodded.

"When the shield goes down, you will slow down time enough to slash through the bars and destroy the LBMs. Then we're free."

The blonde smiled. "You've got it, Tai. I've been wanting to use that for a while, and now's as good a time as any to see if I can still do it."

"That's the spirit."

TK got up and went beside the bars, but careful enough not to touch the rays protecting them. He waited patiently for the moment to come when the shield would cut off for three seconds. The rays buzzed in his ears like a swarm of bees, but the blonde closed his eyes and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The buzzing stopped.

TK's eyes snapped open as the tattoo on his wrist glowed with yellow light. Time slowed down for the boy, and without a moment to waste activated his lightsaber. He swung through the metal bars, slicing them off before destroying the LBM to his left. The rays slowly came out from the one on the right, but TK used the Force to send what was left of the bars into it. The machinery exploded almost instantly.

Everything resumed at normal speed with the Jedi now free to leave their prison. The group quickly got up and ran out, happy to be free.

"Hey, you!" the Vegimon guards cried out as they chased after the escapees. Tai and TK took care of them with three swings of their lightsabers before catching up with the others.

The Jedi cut through any resistance that met them, which wasn't that much to begin with, without any trouble and split off once again. This time, they freed whatever Digimon were left and soon the prison was filled with escaping Digimon. The group followed them out, but heard the sound of lightsabers clashing above them.

* * *

Matt felt his anger seep into every movement he made as he pursued the Emperor with reckless abandon. The bastard was clearly playing with him, only fueling his desire to destroy the Emperor even more.

He jumped to the next rooftop and their lightsabersinstantly clashed. Matt chopped and swung from every direction he could think of. He hadn't kept up with his saber techniques over the last couple years, so he was a little rusty but determined to win the fight. So far, the whole fight had been a stalemate.

The Emperor's smirk grew with every strike he blocked. He felt Matt's anger rise as the duel continued on. He had heard about Matt's legendary short fuse, and wanted to test it to the limit. So far, the Jedi of Friendship did not disappoint.

Back and forth, their sabers clashed with neither one gaining an edge over the other. When Matt went for an overhead strike, the Emperor saw his opening. He slammed his foot directly into Matt's stomach. The blonde's face twisted in pain before a fist collided with his face. He dropped his lightsaber as he fell to the top of the roof.

The Emperor pointed his lightsaber at Matt's throat, his face twisted in sadistic glee.

"It is done. The moon has now eclipsed the sun," he snickered. "There's nowhere left to run, Matt. Your friends aren't here to help you."

Matt's eyes widened at the tip of the blue lightsaber that was just inches from his face. His mind went all over the place to decide how to get himself out of this situation.

"Want me to scar your other eye too?"

The Emperor was surprised as Matt now had a smile on his face.

"No thanks," he returned. "How about this?"

He swiftly kicked the Emperor in the groin. The tyrant gave a high-pitched grunt as pain unlike anything he had ever felt before shot through him. His hands immediately went down and he fell to his knees.

"Damn you!" the Emperor groaned through gritted teeth as he rode out the pain.

"What's the matter? You get an owie?" Matt sneered, pumping his fist. His strategy worked perfectly.

"Matt, come on!"

He turned and saw Tai and the others looking up at the rooftop. They had escaped. Relief washed over him as he saw TK was all right. He turned back to the Emperor.

"Might want to put some ice on that, your highness," he said before jumping down from the roof to join the others.

The Emperor stumbled to his feet, breathing sharply as the overwhelming pain still shot through his lower body. He glared after them as they ran from the prison and into the forest.

"You may have won this round, Jedi," he hissed before shouting, "BUT I AM STILL THE RULER OF THIS WORLD! AND YOU WILL ALL EVENTUALLY BOW DOWN TO ME!"

* * *

The group emerged from the portal and back into the school computer lab. Izzy was waiting for them. Everything that just happened rushed through them like a shot of adrenaline.

"Glad to have you guys back," Izzy smiled at them. "How did it go?"

Tai gave a thumb's up. "All things considered, it was successful. Even though we got captured by that psychotic Emperor, we freed all the Digimon he was holding prisoner."

"Good."

Sora wrapped her arms around Matt and hugged him as a thank you for saving them. The blonde's face erupted red.

"Thanks for coming for us, Matt," she smiled at him, which only spread the redness even more. "We wouldn't have escaped without your help."

"I-It was no trouble," he mumbled, looking away to hide his embarrassment. "I'm just glad I could help." It suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, how did that portal open? And how did you know where it would send me, Izzy?"

TK raised his hand up. "I opened it for you," he said. "I had a feeling that you would come running to help, so I had a portal ready to go. Izzy just changed where you landed because you would have ended up with us."

Matt couldn't help but grin. Ever since Tai had given the goggles to TK, the younger blonde had started taking charge of situations and was less passive than before. He was impressed.

"Nice work, TK," he said as he embraced his brother. "I knew you had it in you, little man."

"Oh stop," TK lightly shoved his brother's shoulder, which Matt returned with a ruffle of his head.

Sora noticed his still-bleeding knuckles.

"What happened to your hand, Matt?" she asked, examining it. The cuts on his hand were starting to heal, but there was still blood covering the whole backside of it.

"I punched a hole in the wall," he replied with a shrug.

Sora went to the back of the room to get a first aid kit and pulled out some bandages and alcohol wipes. She used the wipes to disinfect the cuts, which caused Matt to grimace because it stung. Once his wounds had been cleaned, Sora started to wrap his hand in bandages.

"Please be careful next time, okay?" she said, finishing up. Matt looked like he wanted to say something, but she cut him off with a gentle smile. "I know he got under your skin enough to make you want to punch the wall, but he's not worth breaking bones over."

Matt nodded and sighed. "I'm sorry, everybody," he said. "I didn't capture the Emperor like you wanted to. I was so relieved to see you were all okay, that it was the last thing on my mind. I had him at the perfect moment, and I couldn't do it. I'm sorry."

Tai shrugged with a smile. "It's alright, Matt. No biggie. We'll just have to find another way to get him to _'open up'_ to us. The main thing is you came to help us. We really appreciate it."

The older blonde nodded with a smile, and then turned to Davis.

"I ran into your sister today, Davis," he said.

Davis groaned. "I'm so sorry for whatever she did, Matt. She has had the biggest crush on your for forever, and sometimes takes it way too far. I'm sorry that you had to meet her."

"Sister?" asked TK. "You never told us you had a sister, Davis. Is she pretty or is she like you? Be honest."

Matt nervously chuckled. "She's…uh…._interesting_."

"Yeah. Interestingly annoying," Davis added with anger. "She pushes me around like I'm her little dog and thinks she has the right to know everything that I'm doing."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Tai chuckled, glancing at Sora with a teasing smirk.

"That's very funny, Tai," she glared right back before smacking him on the shoulder. "Now, you behave."

"I was just playing," Tai defensively replied as he rubbed his shoulder. "Anyway, we'll all regroup around the same time tomorrow. We're going to find this Digimon Emperor and finally find out who he is."

* * *

Later that night, Ken Ichijouji couldn't sleep. He grimaced as his hand rubbed his groin, which still had phantom pains going through it. He tossed and turned on the lofted bed several times, his anger rising with every single movement, until he punched his pillow.

_'I will show them!'_ he raged as he punched it several more times. _'I will show them_ _all!'_

Ken descended down the ladder of his bunk bed to the floor, and went straight to his computer. In order to get the results he wanted, he knew that it was time to think of creating something else to get his way.

After a few moments of deep thought, he glanced over at a nearby poster on his wall. He saw something on it that caught his attention. A sly grin crept up his lips.

"That's good," he whispered. "That is very good."

His fingers tapped away on the keyboard like they had a mind of their own as he worked deep into the night.

* * *

**What does Ken have in mind and how will the Jedi fare in the next phase of their plan? Find out on the next episode of Attack of the Emperor. **

**What a chapter that was to write! Hope you all enjoyed it. I loved doing the beginning because it gave us a proper introduction to who Jun is and what her and Davis' relationship is like. And references galore. Whoever can guess all of them will get a shoutout in the next chapter. Sorry Music Chick, but I am excluding you from that for obvious reasons XP If you guess them right, I'll give you guys a little secret about me.**

**Song is 3 Doors Down's 'Kryptonite' so all rights go to them. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story because we have many more exciting things coming your way. See you guys next week. **


	5. Mr Reliable

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Yes, Matt was pretty cool last chapter. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Well, Davis probably isn't smarter than that XD **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Yes they do, but it will not be easy. Especially since Kari may get in the way. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: You never know what may happen ;-) Stay tuned.**

* * *

**Here we are: chapter 5. I'm encouraged by everything you guys have been saying so far, and appreciate all the feedback. Things are now getting into full swing, with some of the character dynamics starting to take center stage. You'll see what I mean soon. Right now, it's Joe's turn to go with the new Destined Jedi.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Over the next few days, the Destined Jedi searched tirelessly throughout the Digital World for the Digimon Emperor, but he would not show up. It seemed like he was laying low because they hadn't found any trace of the tyrant: no trouble, no entering their minds and reciting maniacal poetry; there was nothing.

It was now the middle of April, and the Destined Jedi were beginning to think their plan to capture the Emperor and interrogate him about his real identity was not going to work. Though not everyone was disappointed about that.

"Looks like that little kick in the balls must have scared him off for a while," Davis joked one day.

TK snickered. "Maybe, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Emperor is very cunning, so we shouldn't underestimate him. He must be up to something big to disappear for this long."

"But we haven't found any trace of him over the last couple days. I think he got scared of me because he knows I'd kick his butt all over the Digital World."

Yolei choked a laugh. "Like anyone would be scared of you, Davis."

The group laughed as Davis glared at the bespectacled girl.

This continued for the entire week, and before the group knew it, it was Friday. They would have the weekend off with the new policy adopted by schools nationwide of there being no school on the second and fourth Saturday of the month. But that didn't mean they were taking a break from Digital World business.

* * *

Marilyn Manson's _"The Beautiful People"_ blasted through the stereo on the bedroom wall as Ken Ichijouji typed away madly on his computer. He had a few last minute modifications to make on his new creation.

His lips curled in a sadistic smirk as he thought of everything that would happen with this new creation. Those who were after him would not stand a chance. Maybe…

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. The music stopped.

"Ken, honey," his mother said on the other side. "Lunch is ready. Are you hungry?"

Ken growled lowly, but restrained himself from showing any irritation. "No, Mother. I'm not hungry."

"Okay," replied Mrs. Ichijouji. "I'll leave some in the fridge for you if you do get hungry."

"Thank you."

'_Ignorant wench,' _he thought as the calm smirk appeared again. _'She, and that idiot who calls himself my father, are nothing but insects to me. They'll always be nothing.' _

A bright flash filled his room.

* * *

The frozen land on the northern part of Server was almost equivalent to the real world's Antarctica. It was freezing cold, almost uninhabitable, and home to very few species of Digimon that could survive these conditions. The snow was a foot thick, with ice that never seemed to melt no matter what time of year it was.

Here, it was always winter.

The Digimon Emperor did not seem to mind the frigid conditions. His jumpsuit was layered with thick tunics underneath to keep him warm. Right now, he was herding a pack of amphibian-like Digimon called Gizamon. He heard all about their capability in battle and was anxious to see how they would do against the Destined Jedi.

As they moved through the frozen landscape, one of the Gizamon collapsed from exhaustion. The Emperor did not take kindly to this, and lashed it with a crack of his whip. The Digimon grunted in pain from the sting, but was too weak to get back up.

_Crack! _

"Get up!"

_Crack! _

"Get up, you disgusting piece of slime!"

Desperate to stop the abuse, the Gizamon channeled all of its strength in order to push itself up and continue on. Its legs shook with exhaustion, but its determination to stop the lashes outweighed any pain it felt.

The Emperor smiled. "You all see that? That is what I expect out of all of you! If only you can be like this one. Now move!"

The Gizamon nodded softly and pressed on. Whenever one would slow down, they would be met with a lash of the whip. Nothing was going to stop the Emperor in his pursuit of total power.

Gomamon bit his tongue to quell back the fury that he felt watching this. As much as he wanted to help the Gizamon, he knew there was no chance of him being able to free them. The Emperor was just too powerful for him to take on alone. This was a job for someone else.

The seal Digimon closed his eyes and reached out with the Force.

'_Joe.'_

* * *

"Okay, class. Let's sum up. When looking at the symptoms of tonsillitis versus a regular sore throat, it is important that you remember…"

Joe astutely copied down what his teacher said. His notebook was already halfway full with all the notes he had taken over this lecture. After the first Digital World adventure, he committed himself to becoming a doctor like his father and oldest brother Jim. It would be on his terms though. He was doing it for no one but himself.

His older brother, John, was attending Kyoto University, but he was not a popular topic of discussion in the Kido household. Halfway through his second year as a pre-med student, John suddenly announced to the family that he had switched his major. He was now studying anthropology! Joe had never seen his father get so worked up over something. Dr. Kido almost disowned John right on the spot, but Mrs. Kido talked her husband down and the two of them came to an understanding.

'_Joe.' _

The former Jedi of Reliability snapped up suddenly. His eyes darted around the room. Was he hearing things?

'_Joe, help.' _

Gomamon, Joe realized. His eyes widened. Somewhere, Gomamon was seeking his help. He had a bad feeling about what it was. Maybe the time had come for him to go back to the Digital World and help the younger kids with defeating this Digimon Emperor. Joe's hand dragged across the lightsaber on his belt.

The final bell rang and students got up from their desks.

"Thank you for the lesson, sir!" the class all bowed to their instructor before gathering their things and leaving the room.

"Remember to review for your test this weekend," said the instructor. "Just because you have this weekend off does not mean you can slack off on your studies."

Joe's mind became a steel trap. He had tunnel vision as he went to his locker, put on his street shoes, and made his way out of school. He didn't get far down the street before a voice stopped him.

"Hey, Joe!"

He turned and saw two of his classmates waiting on the corner.

"Hey, guys," Joe greeted.

"Joe, you going to cram school right now?" one of them asked. "We could walk together."

Joe smiled apologetically. "Sorry, guys. I've got a small domestic emergency to take care of. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, see ya."

The former Jedi of Reliability didn't waste any time and took off to the subway station to get over to Odaiba. Gomamon needed his help.

* * *

Cody moved quickly down the hallway after leaving his class, but was mindful not to explode into a full sprint. He didn't have time to go with the group to the Digital World today. He was going to be late!

His hand grazed along the handrail as he flew down the stairs.

"Hey, Cody!"

The boy turned and saw Davis standing at the top of the stairs. The older boy was on his way to the computer lab, but stopped when he saw Cody halfway down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Davis asked. "The computer lab is up this way. Aren't you coming with us today?"

Cody shook his head. "I'm sorry, Davis, but I have my kendo lesson with my grandfather," he said. "He's the instructor, and I'm his only student. He'd be disappointed if I didn't show up."

Davis groaned. "Come on, man! We're depleted enough as it is. Tai and Sora have their soccer game today, and Matt's practicing with his band. Izzy said he couldn't come with us either, though he'd respond if we needed help. Can't you just skip today?"

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"You're one of us, aren't you?"

Cody froze. He was, but family always came first to him. It was something his grandfather always beat into him since after his father passed away.

"I'm sorry, Davis, but I can't," he repeated before continuing down the stairs. "Good luck without me. See ya."

Davis' jaw dropped a few inches as Cody disappeared from sight. He was finding it difficult to get to know the kid because he acted way beyond what a normal nine-year-old should act like. He wasn't the same way at that age, so he didn't know where he was coming from.

'_I am never going to understand this kid,' _he groaned.

Suddenly, it hit him. Cody was most likely like this because of his father's death at a young age. He forced himself to grow up in order to make up for what little male influence he had in his life, aside from his grandfather. That must have been why he refused to miss out on a kendo lesson.

"Hey, Davis. What's up?"

The boy's face erupted red when he turned around and saw Kari. No matter how many times he saw her, she always had a way of making him act like a complete fool.

"N-Nothing," he nervously said, trying to play it cool. "I was just heading to the computer lab. Want to walk down there with me?"

Kari shrugged. "Sure. Why not."

Davis' heart leapt in his chest. Him and Kari walking down the hall together? It wasn't a major thing, but it was definitely a start. Maybe next she would be begging him for a date, and then eventually get to…

"I can hear your thoughts, Davis. You know that, right?" Kari interrupted his fantasy, her arms folded across her chest.

"Wha-?" The boy nearly jumped out of his skin. Kari could read what he was thinking? How did the Force work with that? There were so many things that he didn't know and wanted answers for. Heck, he barely understood how to use his lightsaber.

Kari giggled and walked past him. "You're too funny, Davis," she said as she smacked him on the shoulder lightly.

Davis pouted as Kari walked a few paces ahead of him, humming a happy tune to herself. Why did she have to be so perfect? He was the dog, and she was the bone at the end of the string. No matter how hard he tried, he never got it. His feet finally obeyed the command from his brain to start walking after her.

The walk to the computer lab was silent until they reached it. Davis hoped that the two of them could at least have a few moments alone, but as they walked in, he was dismayed to see that Yolei and TK got there first. He glared longingly at the goggles that sat atop TK's hat.

'_Those should be mine,' _he pouted. He knew that he should have been leader; the Force told him that it was his time. Why did life have to be so unfair?

"So what's the plan, TK?" Kari asked the blonde. The concerned look he had on his face worried her. "What's wrong?"

TK pointed at the computer screen. "Take a look at this," he said.

Kari followed his finger, and what she saw next shocked her beyond words. On the computer screen was a map of the Digital World, but with one side of the map completely blocked off in black squares. White squares were sparsely spread around, but were starting to disappear quickly. One particular area caught her eye.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to one black square that was glowing red.

"This is a map of the Digital World that Izzy received from someone. He wouldn't say who," said Yolei, who was sitting at the computer. She looked at the glowing square. "But it looks like our old friend has finally revealed himself."

"Then let's go pick him up," Davis clenched his fist in determination.

"Wait! Where's Cody?" asked TK.

"Cody's not coming. He said he had kendo practice today. His grandfather's his sensei, so he doesn't miss a single lesson. It may just be up to us."

* * *

A few blocks away at the police precinct, two figures stared each other down with the intensity of two outlaws waiting for the draw. One was tall, while the other was smaller. They wore the traditional attire for the sport of kendo. The bamboo shinais in their hands pointed directly at the other while the face protectors, known as men, masked their expressions.

Cody breathed hard to restore air back into his lungs. The kendo equipment weighed down on his small body, limiting his movements. He and his grandfather had been training for twenty minutes, but his mind was elsewhere.

'_You're one of us, aren't you?' _Davis' words never left his ears. Guilt gnawed at his heart as he tried to concentrate on kendo, but he spaced out.

Big mistake.

"YAAAH!" His grandfather cried out as he charged. Cody couldn't react in time to stop the sword from knocking his away and whacking him on the head.

The man huffed in disappointment as he removed his men, revealing his weathered face to his grandson. Chikara Hida was nearing seventy years old with his grey moustache and shaved head, but that didn't dull the experience he had throughout his life. With the death of his son, he took it upon himself to be the main male influence in Cody's life.

"Something the matter, Cody?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with concern.

Cody removed his face protector and glanced up at his grandfather.

"N-No, Grandfather," he replied, dropping to his knees as Chikara did the same. "What makes you think that?"

"That look on your face. Your father always looked the same way when something troubled him at your age. You're not growing bored of kendo or hanging out with me, are you?"

"Of course not!" Cody denied.

"Then tell me what is troubling you," Chikara pressed his grandson for an answer.

Cody shifted his gaze to his knees. His hands wringed the cloth material of his yukata, wanting to say something, but his mouth wouldn't form the words he wanted to say.

Finally, he spoke. "My friends are relying on me to do something, but I'm afraid that I am letting them down. I feel like I'm being torn apart deciding what to do. I want to honor my commitment to you, but I also want to help my friends."

"You're growing up, Cody," Chikara said. "I cannot always be there to help you make decisions, but the best advice I can give you is that as long as you rely on yourself to do the right thing, then your friends will rely on you."

Cody raised an eyebrow curiously. "How will I know what I do is the right thing, Grandfather?"

"Hmmm," Chikara thought to himself. Turning to his bag, he opened a Chu-Chu jelly packet and slurped it loudly. "Chu-Chu jelly!"

Cody sweatdropped, then nervously chuckled. "No, thank you. I'm fine."

"No, my boy!" the old man laughed. "I've traveled the world searching for something that would help when my mind felt troubled. Somehow, I was always led back to Chu-Chu jelly."

"With all due respect, I think this is bigger than that."

Chikara sighed. "I believed in myself that I would find the answers I was looking for. Fate led me to these. Still your mind, listen to what or where Fate is guiding you towards, and you'll find your Chu-Chu jelly. Rely on your instincts. Do you understand what I mean?"

The boy nodded confidently. A smile started to grow on his face before he rushed out of the dojo. "Yes, Grandfather. I have to go now. See you later."

"Bye," Chikara waved after his grandson. He shut his eyes and meditated.

'_He's becoming more and more like you every day, Hiroki. Continue to watch over him.'_

* * *

Footsteps in the hallway caught Davis' ear. Even before he heard them, he sensed the presence of someone coming toward them.

"Someone's coming!" he alerted the other Jedi.

The others panicked for a moment, until TK and Kari recognized the familiar presence of someone they knew. The door slid open and the figure revealed itself to the Jedi. The Jedi of Hope and Light smiled.

"It's Joe," they said as the former Jedi of Reliability smiled at the four children. He was carrying a plastic bag full of supplies.

"Hi, guys," he greeted. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good, now that you're here," TK replied as he gave Joe a bro-hug. The older boy noticed the goggles on his hat after they pulled away.

"Nice goggles, TK. I didn't believe it initially when Tai told me, but now that I'm seeing it, I can't say I'm surprised."

The blonde blushed. "Aw, come on, Joe."

Kari hugged Joe as well. Yolei and Davis eyed the newcomer with curious expressions. The Jedi of Light caught on to their curiosity.

"Oh, sorry, guys," she said. "This is Joe Kido, another one of the original Destined Jedi. Joe, these are Davis and Yolei, two of the new Jedi."

Joe bowed to them in greeting.

"A pleasure to meet the two of you," he said.

Yolei was seeing stars as she looked at the handsome older boy before her. If only he wasn't so significantly older than her. Her eyes then glanced at the bag in his hand.

"What's in the bag?" she asked.

"Just some supplies that we may need when we go. You never know what can happen in the Digital World. If experience has taught me anything, it's that you can never be too prepared for an emergency."

TK snickered. "Leave it to you. Good ole reliable Joe."

The atmosphere shifted in an instant as Joe walked over to the computer, which still had the map on it.

"So, what's the situation?" he asked.

"We're not sure, but we're going into the Digital World to find the Emperor and capture him so we can figure out what his real identity is," said TK. "We've tried before, but he's eluded our grasp every time. This is the first time he's shown up in a few days."

"I think Gomamon tried to reach out to me because I heard his voice in my head," Joe explained. "Something must be going on if he's calling me to come back. Let's not waste any more time. Let's go."

"You've got it, Chief," Davis grinned, raising his hand in front of the gate.

"WAIT!" The door made a loud bang as it was forced open. Cody ran into the computer lab to join the others. "You guys aren't going anywhere without me!"

"Well, look who decided to change his mind," Davis smirked with his arms crossed over his chest. "We were just about to leave without you, squirt."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Cody apologized. He then turned to greet Joe. "Oh, hi there. I'm Cody."

"I'm Joe. Nice to meet you, Cody," the older boy returned with a smile.

"Can we do this later?" Davis asked, anxious to get to the Digital World already. He focused the energy into his hand and his tattoo glowed with orange and blue light. The gate reacted to it and consumed the Jedi with a flash of blue light.

* * *

The air was bitter cold, and the Jedi felt their toes and ears instantly start to freeze. All around them, the Jedi saw nothing but white snow. Their yukatas had changed in order to adjust to the colder weather, now layered and thicker than they normally would be. Fukagutsu, boots woven with straw, covered their feet instead of wooden sandals.

Joe adjusted the grey obi on his yukata, which was white with the symbol of Reliability colored grey in the fabric to stand out. The thick tunic underneath was also grey.

"Wh-Wh-Why d-d-did w-w-we h-h-have t-t-to c-c-come h-h-here?" Yolei's teeth chattered as she struggled to speak, trying to keep herself warm.

"Oh come on," Davis shot, though he also was trying to keep himself warm. "D-Don't tell me you're a little c-c-cold."

The former Jedi of Reliability reached into the plastic bag and pulled out small packets. He handed them out to each of the children.

"Here, use these," he said. "They're hand warmers. Stick them in your pocket and they'll keep your hands warm. Most of your heat can escape from your hands, and frostbite can set in if left out for too long."

TK beamed. "What would we do without you, Joe?"

"You'd be lost," Joe answered with a mischievous glint in his eye. Everybody laughed, taking their mind off the cold for a moment.

TK gazed past the trees and down the plain of snow. "The Emperor is here," he said just above a whisper. His eyes narrowed. "We're going to get him this time. He will not escape. Let's go!"

The Destined Jedi followed behind their leader as they began their journey. Now that they were moving, they felt less cold than before. The hand warmers Joe gave them came in handy as the Jedi would stick their hands in their pockets every three minutes. The wind howled and picked up speed as they moved along, only compounding their misery.

After ten more minutes, the group finally came over a hill and were graced with a wide view of the land. All seemed quiet and peaceful, but the Emperor's presence was growing even stronger.

"Where is he?" TK hissed.

Something whizzed past his head, followed by a brief searing heat. TK turned and saw a smoking hole in the trunk of a tree. Davis saw it too.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I don't know," said TK.

_Phew! Phew! Phew! _

Red flashes of light came blasting toward the Jedi from somewhere in the snow. They dodged as they retreated behind the trees. More lasers whizzed past them for four more seconds before stopping.

Davis and TK peeked out from behind their hiding spots to see where they came from. A platoon of seven snowmen Digimon called Frigimon stood just twenty yards from the tree line, but the blonde noticed the Dark Rings around their wrists.

One raised its arm and a laser shot out from the Dark Ring towards the trees. It hit the tree right next to the one Kari was hiding behind.

"Looks like he knows we're here," said TK as he grabbed his lightsaber. "And he sent the welcoming committee."

"Blasters? It had to be blasters?" Davis cried in disbelief. "That was what he spent the last few days creating? Why couldn't he have just come up with something a bit more original?"

The Jedi rushed out from behind the trees with their lightsabers drawn to meet the platoon head on. Blaster fire soared through the air as the Jedi blocked the red lasers at every turn. The Jedi were starting to get overwhelmed, knowing that they could not keep this up for long.

"Go! Back to the trees!" TK cried, urging the group away from the battlefield. He didn't have to worry about the Frigimon catching up. They weren't very fast.

The other Jedi did as told and ran back into the trees, but kept going. The Force fueled their legs with extra energy until they reached the end of the trees. Cody's eyes widened as the ground came to an end, the freezing river churning just fifteen feet below.

"Wait!" he cried, but his warning came too late. Davis bumped into the others, pushing them three inches forward with Joe being pushed into Cody. The boy fell from the ledge towards the river below.

"Cody!" Joe cried as he dove into the water to get him.

* * *

Cody tightly clutched the blanket around his small body as he shivered without end. Not even the fire in front of him could warm him up. His wet yukata and tunic had been removed so he didn't come down with hypothermia and were laid out behind him. Despite his situation, he wasn't at all concerned about himself.

"I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry y-y-y-you h-h-had t-t-t-to f-f-fall in w-w-with m-m-me, J-J-Joe," he said through chattering teeth.

Joe also had a blanket wrapped around him, his yukata and tunic folded out next to him. He drank a cup of warm tea to restore some heat to his body.

"It's no problem, Cody," he assured the boy, ruffling his head before giving him some tea. "If I hadn't done anything, you probably would have been carried down the river and died from hypothermia. Here, drink this."

"Th-Th-Thank y-y-you." Cody took a sip of tea and felt his body instantly warm up a little. His shivering settled down.

The Destined Jedi took refuge in a cave so Joe and Cody could warm up and recover after their fall in the river. TK stood guard at the mouth of the cave to watch for any trace of the Emperor while the others monitored Joe and Cody.

"That was pretty crazy what you did, Joe," said Davis.

"That's nothing," TK smiled. "I'll never forget when he and I faced MegaSeadramon in the bay and he jumped in to save me after I was knocked out of the boat. Joe is the kind of guy who will do anything for his friends, no matter what the situation is."

"Oh, come on, TK," Joe blushed. "I promised your mom that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You were just a kid and I was responsible for you."

"And that is exactly why you're the Jedi of Reliability," the blonde replied.

The group sat in silence for a few moments, taking this time to reflect on what had happened and what to do next. The Emperor was nearby, that much was certain, but he was still nowhere to be found. It was possible that he was playing with them and waiting for the right moment to appear.

"You guys go on ahead," said Joe. "I'll stay here and watch over Cody while you guys go find the Emperor."

But Cody stood up defiantly. "No! I'm coming too! My grandfather told me that you guys will rely on me if I rely on myself!" he said, only for his knees to nearly collapse on him. Kari and Yolei held him up before helping him back down.

"You're not going anywhere with us, Cody," Yolei said. "You're staying here with Joe and getting rest."

"But-"

"That's an order, mister!"

Cody finally admitted defeat and conceded to Yolei's wish. He knew she was trying to help, but it didn't make him feel any better about his situation. He hated feeling useless.

"Okay."

"You sure you guys will be okay, Joe?" asked TK. "What if the Emperor finds you?"

Joe smiled confidently. "No need to worry, TK. I may be a little rusty, but I can handle myself just fine in a fight. Besides, what kind of Jedi of Reliability would I be if I let something happen to Cody?"

TK nodded. "Okay, but only if you're sure." He looked at Davis, Kari, and Yolei. "Let's move out, troops. We've got an Emperor to find."

"Right!" They all said before following him out of the cave, leaving Joe and Cody behind.

Cody reached his hands out towards the fire to warm them up. His briefs had dried up enough that he could put them back on, but his yukata and tunic still needed a bit longer to dry.

"You feeling okay, Cody?" Joe asked.

"I think so," he replied. "I'm starting to warm up a little bit."

"That's good."

Cody muttered something under his breath. It was so quiet that Joe couldn't hear him.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I should be out there with them," Cody said a bit louder. "How am I going to be reliable if I can't help the others?"

Joe smiled. The more time he spent with the boy, the more he found that the two of them shared many similar qualities.

"I know exactly how you feel, Cody," he said. "I used to feel that way too. During our first adventure, I was the biggest coward you had ever met. I didn't want to fight, and I especially didn't want to be here at first. I felt like a burden on everyone else."

Joe stood up, the blanket still wrapped around his upper body, and turned with his back to Cody. The boy glanced at his right calf and saw a pale scar going across it. His eyes widened.

"How'd you get that?"

"Devimon," Joe replied. "He slashed me across the calf when Matt and I tried to fight him. That was the first time we had gotten our butts kicked in a battle. After that, I took it upon myself to be a more reliable Jedi for everyone else."

He wrapped his arm around the boy. "The Force works in mysterious ways, Cody. Sometimes it works in ways that we can't understand right away, but the answer becomes clear with time. Each of us has a destiny; we just have to find out what it is. Fate will lead you to it."

Cody's eyes widened when he heard that. It sounded just like what his grandfather told him. He felt a kinship with Joe because they really were alike in so many ways. He trusted the older Jedi to protect him. The Force told him that he had found his Chu-Chu jelly.

"So if you want to be reliable, I can just tell you to always persist and be there for everyone when they need you most. Sometimes that means staying behind when the situation calls for it. You see what I'm saying?"

Cody nodded. "I think so."

Their moment was suddenly interrupted.

"'_Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gire and gimble in the wabe," _a snickering voice laughed from outside the cave. "I know you're in there, Destined Jedi. You can't hide from me any longer. Come out and face me!"

The Digimon Emperor! Joe and Cody scrambled to put their clothes back on. They rushed outside, only to run into the smirking face of the very tyrant they had been trying to find for the last few days.

The Emperor sneered at Cody. "Well, hello there, small fry," he snickered before looking up at Joe. "Well, if it isn't Joe Kido, the Jedi of Reliability. Hard to believe that a coward like you had the power to stop Apocalymon from destroying everything."

Joe glared back. "Sometimes appearances can be deceiving…Digimon Emperor."

"Oh, so you've heard of me? I'm not surprised considering your little friends have blabbed their little mouths."

_Pshew! _

The Emperor's blue lightsaber emerged. The two Jedi also activated their lightsabers. Joe's lightsaber was a pale blue compared to the Emperor's royal blue. but he didn't make a move towards them.

"Get them, Frigimon!" he commanded.

From out of the snow, the Frigimon emerged and started blasting away at the two Jedi. Cody froze as the lasers came careening towards him, but Joe blocked them away with one swipe of his lightsaber.

"I'll hold them off, Cody," he said. "You just concentrate on removing the Dark Rings."

Cody nodded, then leapt into action as Joe deflected every blast laser that came their way. Using his smaller frame, he jumped, dodged, and weaved his way around the Frigimon. He sliced off two Dark Rings in the blink of an eye and had his sights set on the other ones.

The Emperor growled, enraged at this turn of events. He jumped in and jammed his saber beneath Cody's before he could slice off another ring. Taking advantage of the situation, the tyrant used the Force to send Cody flying through the air and into the snow.

Cody regained his senses as the Emperor leapt for him, his lightsaber pointed straight at the boy, but he jumped out of the way. The two glared at each other.

"So this is what you've been up to?" said Cody, raising his saber defensively. "Modifying your Dark Rings so they can become a weapon?"

The Emperor snickered. "That's right. You Jedi are really starting to get on my nerves, so I needed to invent something that will keep you at bay. It's just you and me now, squirt. No one will come to your aid this time."

Cody's eyes glanced up behind him in surprise. The Emperor followed his gaze and was met with a snow boot to the face.

TK smirked in pride as his sneak attack succeeded. Their downed adversary collected himself from the ground, his right nostril oozing a drop of blood from the shot to the face. Yolei, Davis, and Kari came out of the snow-covered hills and destroyed the remaining Dark Rings.

TK grabbed the Emperor by the front of his jumpsuit and pulled him up.

"Alright, start talking," he growled. "Who are you?"

The Emperor sneered defiantly. "The great mystery," he hissed. "I am that I am."

"Enough games, Emperor! What is your real name?"

"That's for you to guess, and for me to know. The only way you're ever going to find out is if you play my little game."

TK slugged him in the face. The Emperor's glasses flew off, revealing his face to the group. His eyes were blue, but never lost the mischievous glint in them. A bruise was left on his cheek, but he didn't seem to care. He started laughing.

"What's so funny?" TK was confused.

"Your guard is down," the Emperor said.

Before TK realized what he was talking about, a burst of Force lightning erupted from the Emperor's fingertips and hit him with full force. TK screamed in pain as the lightning surged through his body.

Joe's anger rose as the Emperor laughed sadistically at torturing the blonde. He couldn't stand by and watch this any second longer.

"Stop it!" he roared, leaping right at the Emperor with everything he had. The tyrant halted the lightning and shared a brief exchange with Joe before using the Force to dump snow on top of him.

"This isn't over, Jedi," he sneered. "In fact, the war has only just begun. You better prepare yourselves for what will come next because I am done messing around."

He turned and ran away.

"Come back here! We're not through with you yet!" Davis roared, but the Emperor's maniacal laugh echoed across the air before it disappeared.

* * *

Kari and Joe helped TK back up to his feet and carried him as the group went back to the television they had come through. While they failed at getting useful information out of the Emperor, they at least had captured him. Things were not going to get any easier for the group.

"You okay, TK?" Joe asked.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just angry that I let my guard down. Things have changed now. We just need to stop this guy any chance we get."

"Yeah," Davis agreed. "I'm getting tired of him running off with that laugh. Next time, he won't be so lucky."

"That's great, but I think we should all go home now," said Cody.

The Jedi agreed and with a flash of light, they were transported back into the real world.

The sun was starting to set on the horizon as the group landed in the computer lab. Joe smiled at Cody.

"Well, Cody, do you think you know what it means to be reliable now?" he asked.

The boy nodded. "I think so. Hey, Joe?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want to come over to my apartment sometime? I think my grandfather would like to meet you."

The teenager was shocked by the declaration, but ruffled the boy's head and chuckled. "I would love to," he said. "From what you've told me, I think we would get along just fine."

"That's because you're so reliable, Joe," TK said. "Anyone would like you because of that."

The group laughed as Joe's face blushed red.

* * *

The door burst open as Ken stormed out of his bedroom. He pounded the wall, swept off papers from the nearby table, and entered the kitchen with the scariest glare on his face.

His parents were surprised by his appearance, and even more surprised by how angry he was. Fear rose in their hearts as he sat down at the table and stabbed the gyoza dumplings with his chopsticks.

"Something the matter, Ken?" his mother asked.

Ken glared at her, but did not say anything as he downed the gyoza.

* * *

**What will the Digimon Emperor do next, and what did he mean by 'It has only just begun'? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Man, what a chapter that was. Looks like Joe and Cody are on their way to developing a beautiful friendship. I felt that was something they should have expanded on in the series. We'll get more development going forward, just for your information. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story. I will see you guys next week because it's Golden Week for the group. **


	6. Golden Week Picnic

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yup. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: You'll find out here ;-) I can't speak for Davis in that capacity XD Thanks for the favorite and follow btw. **

**Music Chick: Yeah, that was pretty awesome. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thanks. I was really disappointed they didn't expand on that in the series. **

**Thank you to Ratchet McCloud for the favorite and savagepotato05 and StoryBrookFields95 for their follows.**

* * *

**Back with another chapter, y'all. This time, Mimi gets to go to the Digital World. What will she find there? Find out. Also features the return of some familiar faces to the group that I am disappointed they left out in the series until Tri.**

**For those unfamiliar with what Golden Week is, it is a week of several holidays in Japan that occurs from late April to early May. People get time off from work and kids get off school for Children's Day. **

* * *

"Maybe some of that, and that," Yolei muttered as she took two of multiple kinds of onigiri off the shelf and put them in her basket. Salmon, tuna-mayo, chicken, and some with an umeboshi, a salted Japanese plum, in the middle. Several other items filled her basket almost to the brim: all different kinds of tea, instant ramen bowls, sandwiches, buns, and various desserts.

They weren't for herself, but a picnic that all of the Destined Jedi were going on today. Golden Week was in full swing, but the group still had to attend school for the first part of it. Today was Children's Day, and what better way to enjoy the holiday than a picnic in the Digital World? Ever since they began their crusade against the Emperor, they never took a moment to just relax and be kids for a change.

Yolei went from aisle to aisle in search of any last-minute things that she may have forgotten or had a second thought about. She grabbed a big bag of chips and a chicken katsu sandwich before going up to the counter.

"Here," she said, placing all her items down.

Mrs. Inoue stared at her daughter curiously from behind a smaller pair of glasses. She was a very pretty woman with her dark purple hair put up in a bun under the paper hat she had on her head. Despite her curiosity, she rang up everything that Yolei placed in front of her.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"The computer club is going on a picnic today, and I volunteered to bring food," Yolei explained with a nervous smile.

"Where are you all going?"

"Haven't decided yet."

Mrs. Inoue raised an eyebrow. "Sounds a little suspicious to me," she said.

"Oh, stop, Mom," Yolei groaned as she rolled her eyes. "We're not going anywhere dangerous or sketchy. I promise."

"Then where is it that you're going, Yolei?"

"I DON'T KNOW YET!"

The two glared silently at each other. Everything came to a standstill, like the Earth had stopped turning. Yolei's relationship with her family was…complicated, to say the least. Some days they got along, but others Yolei wished she was born to a different family.

The door chime rang as someone came in.

"Hey, Mom, I need to –" a female voice said until she came upon the tense standoff. "Am I interrupting something?"

The two Inoue women turned to the newcomer and things de-escalated instantly. Mrs. Inoue straightened out her glasses and assumed her normal pleasant demeanor.

"No," she said with a forced smile. "What do you need, Chizuru?"

Yolei eyed the other girl with disdain. She and her older sister Chizuru did not get along at all. She was always the one who got asked to switch shifts whenever Chizuru felt like doing something else, no matter how frivolous it was. Yolei felt like her sister's dog.

"Can Yolei take my shift today? I had something come up that was important."

"What? No!" Yolei protested. "I've got plans today too!"

"Oh yeah?" Chizuru shot back. "I bet they're not as important as mine."

"And what is it you have to do?"

Chizuru turned away with a huff. "That's none of your business, little sister."

"GRRRR!" Yolei's knuckles turned white, her nails digging into her palm as she gave her sister a death glare.

She stopped. It just now hit her that she was a Destined Jedi. She could use the Force to influence things. Yolei never watched much _Star Wars_ in her day, but a scene from the fourth movie came to her mind. She smirked. Maybe it could work here.

With a wave of her hand, she said, "You'll stay on schedule."

Chizuru did a 180 and turned to their mother. "On second thought, I'll do my shift as planned."

"You think I'm the coolest sister ever," Yolei added.

"I think Yolei is the coolest sister ever," Chizuru repeated before walking behind the counter to put on an apron.

Mrs. Inoue stared at her daughter in shock. How did she do that? Yolei must have sensed her mother's confusion because she decided now was the perfect time to hightail it out of there.

"See ya, Mom," she said, running out of the convenience store. She waved her hand at her mother before she went out the door. "You didn't see anything."

Yolei didn't take the time to see if it worked. She just wanted to get out of there. It was a beautiful early May day outside. The sun was shining, the wind blew a soft, gentle breeze, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The absolute perfect day for a picnic anywhere.

"Hey, Yolei!" TK and Cody greeted her at the corner in front of their apartment building. The sun reflected off of TK's goggles as the three Jedi waited to cross the street.

"Hey, guys," she returned. "You ready to go?"

The two boys nodded.

"I even brought some kanpyo maki like you asked," Cody said, gesturing to a bento wrapped in a blue handkerchief.

Yolei smiled at the boy. Kanpyo maki were sushi rolls with dried gourd shavings inside. They were some of her favorites.

"Have I ever told you that you are the absolute greatest, Cody?" she asked, ruffling his head.

Cody beamed at the praise as the pedestrian light turned green and the three Jedi crossed the street to begin their journey to the school. The other Jedi were planning on meeting them there so they could all go together.

While on their walk, they saw the traditional banners that were waved during the Children's Day festival. It made them smile because Children's Day was the one day of the year they could do whatever they wanted. Each of them had one memory of Children's Day that they cherished.

The best Children's Day TK ever had was when he and Matt went out to see a movie and eat ramen in Shibuya last year. They ate so much that they had bad stomachaches for three days afterward. TK chuckled because the movie they saw was _The Mummy Returns _and, from what he heard from his father, Matt couldn't sleep for a week because he was afraid that the pygmy mummies were lurking in his closet and would come out in the middle of the night and kill him.

'_He never did like those kinds of movies.' _

But what made that day so special was just being with Matt after not seeing each other regularly for so long.

Yolei's fondest memory was when she was five and her parents took the whole family to Tokyo Disney for the day. It was a day she never forgot because it was the first time she ever went there. Riding all the rides, eating corn dogs, meeting characters; it was the greatest day ever. Unfortunately, she didn't have many other memories like that. All her life, she felt like she was treated lesser than her older siblings. Not anymore.

Cody didn't have too many Children's Day memories that he remembered. Ever since his father died, he had gone into a shell and never really came out of it. Children's Day was just another day that came and went for him every year. If he had to say what memory he was most fond of, it would have to be when his grandfather agreed to teach him kendo. Without kendo, he probably would not be where he was today.

Before the three knew it, they arrived in front of the hedges by the gates of Odaiba School. Davis and Kari were already there, along with Tai, Matt, Sora, and Izzy. The four teenagers wore sweatshirts and jeans because it was still a bit chilly in the mornings and were conversing among each other. Sora had a bag of food around her shoulder.

"Hey, guys," Tai smiled at the new arrivals. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah!" they exclaimed.

TK noticed two glaring no-shows. "Where are Joe and Mimi?" he asked.

"Right here!" a bubbly voice cried as two other teenagers rounded the corner around the school and came into view. Everyone's faces instantly brightened at the sight of Mimi, followed by Joe. She had that power to brighten a room whenever she walked in.

Mimi and Sora hugged each other before the Jedi of Sincerity came face to face with Davis, Cody, and Yolei.

"You must be the new kids," she said with a smile. "Hi, I'm Mimi."

Yolei gazed in awe at the older girl like she was meeting a movie star as she shook Davis' hand. She was so pretty, and so cool. When Mimi finally moved to greet her, the lavender-haired girl was still caught in a daze.

Mimi waved a hand. "Hello?" she said, hoping to snap Yolei out of her daze. "You still with us?"

Yolei finally stopped daydreaming and came back to the real world.

"Hi, Mimi, I'm Yolei," she shook Mimi's hand. "Sora's told me so much about you. I feel like I know you intimately."

Mimi chuckled. "Well, Sora always likes to play up my best qualities. It's very nice to meet you, Yolei."

Cody bowed to the older girl, which she thought to be absolutely adorable. She pinched his cheeks, which Cody didn't like, but he didn't say anything about it. He just let it go.

"Are we all here?" Tai asked, looking around to make sure everyone was present and accounted for. All eleven Jedi were there. "Okay, then let's go."

The group went to the front gate to open it, and were surprised to find it unlocked. With it being Sunday, and Children's Day on top of that, they expected the gate to be locked. It was certainly odd. But what was even more odd was the front door to the school was unlocked too. Davis could have sworn that he saw a light on in the office.

"Do you think someone's here?" he whispered, his voice bouncing off the deserted hallways.

"What makes you think that?" asked Tai.

"I've just got this…feeling. How do you explain the light on in the office?"

The other Jedi looked in the direction of the office, but didn't see a light on.

Matt glared at him. "There's no light on."

"I'm telling you! I saw it!"

"That's your imagination, kid. Now, let's go."

Davis pouted, but didn't say anything else as the group resumed walking through the hallway until they finally reached the computer room. The room was as deserted as the hallways with only the computers inside.

Izzy took his place in front of the monitor and let his fingers fly on the keyboard like a conductor conducting a symphony orchestra. A few clicks later, and the gate was up on the screen waiting for them to go through.

"All clear and ready for takeoff," he said before getting up and standing to the side.

Yolei stepped in front of the computer and concentrated on opening the gate. Green and red light glowed from the tattoo on her arm. The gate reacted after a few seconds and in a flash of bright light, the children were gone.

* * *

The sun was almost blinding as the Destined Jedi emerged on the other side of the gate and walked through the field. The forest was lush and green, the sky blue without a cloud in sight. The grass tickled the tops of their sandal-covered feet.

Mimi looked around with a sense of wonder. Everything was just as she remembered it to be, except the part where monsters would pop up out of nowhere to destroy her and her teammates. The Emperor was out there somewhere, but the thought was not enough to ruin their perfect day. Her pale green yukata blended nicely with the grass, with the symbol of Sincerity etched in a darker shade of green. Her tunic and obi were also dark green.

She sniffed the air and let out a contented breath. "Just smell that open air," she said happily. "Let's find somewhere to settle down for lunch."

"Yeah! I'm starving!" Yolei agreed.

Davis shook his head. "It's too early for lunch. Let's keep walking. Maybe there's a better spot somewhere else."

Kari let a smirk curl up her face. She knew what to do.

"I am a little hungry," she said nonchalantly.

Davis did a complete 180 on his decision. A drop of blood dripped from his nose as he wanted to please Kari more than anything, and shove it right in TK's face that he could be sensitive to her needs.

"Alright," he said. "Tai, I think we can settle down here for lunch."

"Sounds good to me," the Jedi of Courage replied as the group stopped where they were. He flashed his sister a grin, which she returned with one of her own.

TK frowned. He knew exactly what Davis was playing at, and it made him feel even more annoyed at the little pest. If this was going to be the game, then he was more than ready to play it back.

"Game on, Davis," he muttered. "Just remember who's in charge when it's us five."

Matt glanced at him with a knowing stare, but TK refused to give his brother an answer and went to get food out. After a moment, Matt looked away and resumed helping spread out the picnic blanket.

* * *

"Why didn't we ever think to do this before?" Mimi asked as she took a bite from an onigiri.

"Because we were just trying to get through the day," said Izzy after a sip of oolong tea. "It's hard to think of doing things like picnics when you're focusing on trying to survive."

"Yeah," Matt nodded sadly. "Not sure why we didn't ask Gennai if we could have one when we were with him. With how good his food was, I would have dropped everything for that."

"Who's Gennai?" Davis asked.

The older Jedi's faces saddened for a moment. Davis feared he may have strayed in too sensitive of a topic for them.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

Tai flashed him a smile. "Nah, it's okay. Don't worry about it," he assured him. "Gennai was our teacher, and without him, we would not have succeeded in saving both worlds. He taught us everything about the Force and how to wield a saber properly."

"Wow!" Davis' eyes went wide in fascination. "This Gennai sounds like the coolest guy ever! When can we meet him?"

"You can't," Matt said, his emotions rising as the memory of what happened three years ago came back.

"Why not?"

"He's dead."

The mood changed dramatically. What was once a light-hearted, carefree atmosphere had shifted to one like that of a funeral. The younger Jedi knew they were treading on a serious matter for their older counterparts due to their silence and solemn faces. Cody recognized it immediately; he had the same look when his father died.

"What happened?" he asked.

Tai exhaled through his nose before he spoke. "It was after we came back from the real world," he explained. "The Digital World had been taken over by these four powerful Digimon called the Dark Masters. MetalSeadramon, Puppetmon, Machinedramon," he shivered, "And Piedmon. They ambushed us one at a time until coming together to fight us. We would have been goners if it weren't for Gennai; he came to save us. But in order to give us a chance to escape, he allowed Piedmon to kill him."

Mimi and Sora had tears in their eyes as they remembered that day. Watching their master die in front of them was one of the scariest things they ever experienced.

"I'm sorry," said Davis. "I didn't mean to dampen the mood by asking that."

Tai smiled at him. "It's okay. It was a long time ago. Let's get back to this amazing food."

Everyone nodded happily in agreement and the relaxed atmosphere returned as they dug into their food. Many laughs were shared around the picnic table. Everything looked like it was going to be that way the rest of the time.

"Here, have a kanpyo maki!" Davis said to Yolei, using the Force to throw it to her.

Cody glared at him. "You shouldn't throw food!" he chastised, but it was too late. The sushi roll went right past Yolei, who chased after it like her life depended on it.

"Yolei, wait up!" Mimi cried as she ran after the younger girl. "You shouldn't wander out here alone!"

"Mimi, come back!" Sora called after her, but it fell on deaf ears because Mimi continued on until she disappeared into the trees.

The Jedi of Sincerity looked around the forest for any trace of the younger girl, but didn't find any trace of her. If only she still had her connection to the Force; she would find Yolei in a jiffy.

"Yolei?" she called. She took one step and the ground gave way under her foot. The next thing Mimi knew, she fell through the air and landed on the ground with a thud. Everything went black.

* * *

"Mimi! Mimi, are you okay?"

The pink-haired girl's eyes fluttered as everything came back into focus. Yolei stared down at the Jedi of Sincerity with grave concern as she shook her awake. Mimi's shoulder ached and the side of her head hurt.

"Wh-What happened?" she muttered, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. The warm sunny day had turned into night with a quarter moon shining in the sky. For a moment, she worried that she had been out of it for quite a while.

The forest was dark as well, reminding Mimi of one of the scariest memories of her life. A chill ran down her spine as she thought of the dark forest she and the others went through to finish their training with Gennai.

"You fell," explained Yolei as she pointed up. "Looks like that section of the ground we were on was rigged as a trap. It must have been the Emperor's doing." She looked around the area. "This place gives me the creeps. Let's find a way back to the others."

Mimi nodded. "I agree, but where do we go? I don't think we can go up."

Yolei, with her limited Force-sensing abilities, felt a flicker of the others' presence, but couldn't pinpoint their exact location. They could be looking for them by now.

"Then we'll just have to find our own way out," she said, helping Mimi off the ground. "Come on."

"Right."

The two Jedi wandered aimlessly through the forest without a clear direction of where to go. With Yolei's abilities still raw and undeveloped, she was having a hard time knowing which way was right. Mimi would have led them, but she didn't have any connection to the Force anymore.

The forest foliage and trees became thicker the further they went. It made the forest seem darker than it already was, which made them even more unsettled.

Suddenly, a chorus of frogs croaking and other angry noises filled the air. Mimi and Yolei were so startled by this that they activated their sabers out of instinct. The green and purple blades provided light for them to see, so they looked in the area that the noises were coming from.

Red eyes flashed through the darkness. Yolei screamed, but Mimi had her saber in a death grip.

"Princess Mimi!"

From out of the foliage, purple tadpole-like Digimon called Otamamon and green frogs with horns wrapped around their necks called Gekomon emerged. Mimi relaxed.

"Well, what do you know?" she laughed, relieved to see them. "Hi, everyone!"

"You actually know these guys, Mimi?" Yolei asked, before what they said hit her. "And did they just call you 'princess?'"

Mimi sweatdropped. "Yes. It's a long story, Yolei," she said. "You don't have to worry. These are Gekomon and Otamamon. They're very friendly."

But the creatures did not return Mimi's friendly greeting. The Gekomon raised their tiny arms, which had Dark Rings attached to them, and blaster fire shot out from the bands.

"They don't look too friendly to me!" Yolei cried as she and Mimi blocked the shots. Where she was more erratic with her blocks, Mimi was confident and in-control.

"Stop, Gekomon and Otamamon!" Mimi shouted. "Don't you know me? It's Princess Mimi! Don't you remember?"

Her pleas did nothing to stop the amphibious Digimon from their attacks, and even more emerged from the foliage. They were greatly outnumbered, even for two Jedi.

"Mimi, we have to run! They've got us overwhelmed!" Yolei cried. The Gekomon stopped firing for a moment, giving them an opening to escape. The lavender-haired girl grabbed Mimi's wrist and pulled her away in the opposite direction. The Gekomon and Otamamon gave chase.

'_Now I know how the Beatles felt,' _Mimi thought as she and Yolei continued running. She stumbled and fell to the ground stomach first, bringing the other girl down with her. The amphibious Digimon were right upon them. Mimi and Yolei shut their eyes tightly.

The sound of three lightsabers roaring to life filled the air as two figures jumped out of the foliage in front of the two Jedi. One looked like a lion and had a green lightsaber in its grasp. The other was a short green one with white hair and horns on its head. It carried a red lightsaber in each hand.

"Oh jeez! You have to be kidding me!" the green one groaned. "These tone deaf runts were making all that racket?"

"Yes. I'll get these two to safety. You take care of them, Ogremon," said the lion, picking Mimi and Yolei up over his shoulders and running away with them.

The ogre stretched his hand out. A Force wave shot out and blew the creatures back. Ogremon smiled proudly at his work before running to catch up with his comrade.

* * *

Leomon took the two girls into a small cave. The ceiling was slanted, and it was damp with humidity. He and Ogremon had been living here ever since the Digimon Emperor had risen to power and chased them out of File Island. Despite their differences, they agreed to work together and wait for the Jedi to come.

"Are you two okay?" asked Leomon as Mimi and Yolei opened their eyes.

Mimi felt her eyes swell with tears of happiness. "Leomon," she breathed, unable to believe that the brave lion warrior was in front of her. He had been reborn after he sacrificed himself for the others to destroy MetalSeadramon.

Leomon looked at the pink-haired girl curiously. How did she know his name? Then it hit him. The face was undoubtedly familiar, albeit a bit older since the last time he saw her.

"Mimi?" he said.

The girl nodded and ran to hug him, crying uncontrollably. The embrace took Leomon aback temporarily before he hugged her back. Yolei watched with confusion. How did Mimi know these guys?

"You were reborn after all," Mimi said with the biggest smile on her face.

Leomon nodded. "Yes, I was. I waited for the day you all came back to the Digital World to help us. That blasted Digimon Emperor has gone on a total rampage ever since he took over."

"He is quite annoying, isn't he?" Yolei interjected. "All that stupid poetry he recites is driving me crazy."

The lion eyed the lavender-haired girl with curiosity.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name's Yolei, and I'm one of the new Destined Jedi. Pleasure to meet you, Leomon."

Leomon shook the girl's hand. Ogremon came around the corner and into the cave, breathing heavily after running the whole way back.

"Did you get these two here safely?" he asked.

Leomon nodded. "Yes, they're fine."

"Nice to see you again, Ogremon," Mimi greeted, giving the ogre a big hug just like she did with Leomon. He was more surprised than Leomon was.

"Uh…do I know you from somewhere?" he asked.

Mimi giggled. "Oh, stop it, silly. You know me. It's Mimi."

Ogremon studied the girl over for a moment. It couldn't have been Mimi. This girl was taller and had pink hair. Mimi didn't look like that. It wasn't until he settled on her face that everything came to him like a hit on the head.

"Well, I'll be damned!" he exclaimed, hugging Mimi back. "Good to see you again, cowgirl. How you been? Where's Joe?"

"He's with the others. We got separated from them, and we need to find a way back."

Ogremon then turned his gaze at Yolei. As he studied her too, her glasses interested him the most.

"Hey, who's the chick that stole Joe's glasses?" he asked.

Yolei glared at him. "These aren't Joe's! They're mine!" she shrieked in offense. She wound up a fist to punch his lights out.

"Sorry," Ogremon apologized, his hands raised defensively.

"Ogremon, this is Yolei. She's one of the new Destined Jedi," Mimi explained, hoping to defuse the situation.

Ogremon's eyes widened. "What? There's more of you little twerps?" he exclaimed. "I thought we had enough trouble with just the eight of you guys, but now there's more? May the Sovereigns help us."

Leomon knew this wasn't getting anywhere. With the Digimon Emperor somewhere, they couldn't sit around and joke. They had work to do.

"Now that we're all reacquainted, let's go," he said. "The Digimon Emperor is somewhere nearby. I can sense him."

Ogremon unleashed his lightsabers. "It's about time that little twerp showed his face! I'm ready to send him back to wherever the hell he came from." He took off without any warning, taking the three of them by surprise.

"Ogremon, wait!" Mimi cried, running after him. Leomon and Yolei made up the end as the four ran deeper into the forest.

"Why are we running again?" Yolei groaned, not happy with having to run again that day.

* * *

"MIMI?"

"YOLEI, WHERE ARE YOU?"

The Destined Jedi searched the entire area for any sight of the two female Jedi, but had no luck thus far. The two of them ran off, but had not come back so the group went in search of them.

"Where could they have gone?" Tai asked Matt, who shrugged.

"Dunno. You know how girls are, Tai. They like to travel everywhere in packs."

The two laughed as everyone else continued calling for the missing Jedi.

TK and Davis walked near a grassy area on the far side of the field. They both felt a strong amount of Force energy coming somewhere under the ground.

"You feel that?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah."

TK pressed the ground with his hand and felt it give way slightly. The section of grass fell and revealed a dark forest down below. The two boys stared down wide-eyed.

"You don't see that every day," Davis gaped.

"Guys!" TK cried. "Come here! Quick!"

The tone of his voice made the other Jedi run as fast as they could to see what he was talking about. When they saw the large hole in the ground, they were amazed at how big it was.

"Think Mimi and Yolei fell through these?" Cody asked.

TK nodded. "Yeah. I can sense them down there," he smiled up at Tai and Matt. "And they're not alone."

* * *

Mimi and Yolei continued giving chase as Ogremon led them on through the forest. They ran for twenty minutes, but didn't find any trace of the Emperor. They felt like they were being led on a wild goose chase.

"How much further?" Mimi called up to the ogre.

"Not that far," Ogremon replied. "Trust me. He's close."

Maniacal laughter filled the trees around them. The group stopped running. Yolei and the two Digimon recognized the laugh in an instant.

Mimi looked around curiously. "Is that the Joker, or is it just my imagination?"

"I wish it was the Joker," Yolei replied. "But it's him."

Ogremon stood ready to fight, and Leomon activated his lightsaber. Mimi and Yolei followed.

"Come out and fight us, tough guy!" The ogre challenged. "Unless you're too scared."

Leomon glared at him. "Do you really think provoking him like this is going to help our cause?" he shot. "You know what he's capable of."

"Of what? He's a coward," Ogremon shot back. "I just hate the whole showing up out of nowhere routine. Stop being such an overgrown kitty cat."

The name calling only angered Leomon even more. He took a deep breath, remembering that they were supposed to be fighting together, rather than against each other.

Yolei and Mimi watched the bickering with varying levels of amusement. Mimi knew of their history, so she understood that they did this all the time. Yolei was more concerned.

"Do they do this all the time?" she asked.

Mimi giggled and nodded. "Yes. Leomon and Ogremon are natural enemies. They're like Batman and Joker. It's nothing to worry about."

Watching the two argue, Yolei was reminded of her own family. Sure, she was annoyed by all of them sometimes, especially her sisters, but at the end of the day they were still family. She snickered.

A voice above them snickered, "Well if it isn't the Lion King and his trusty sidekick."

They looked up and saw the person they had been looking for this whole time sneering down at them. The Emperor jumped down from the tree to meet them on the ground.

"Who are you calling a sidekick, you little pest?" Ogremon shot, angry at being labeled as Leomon's sidekick.

The Emperor wagged a finger at him. "Temper, temper," he taunted. "You always did have the worst temperament, Ogremon."

Mimi couldn't believe her eyes. This was the Digimon Emperor? He didn't look like much from first glance. Not to mention his outfit was a complete fashion disaster.

"Ew! That outfit so does not match!" she wrinkled her nose. "You couldn't think of anything better to wear?"

The Emperor narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Mimi with a glare. When he saw her, his face changed and he instead smiled pleasantly.

"At long last," he said. "Mimi Tachikawa. The Jedi of Sincerity. It is such an honor to finally meet you."

Mimi narrowed her eyes at him. "If you weren't so evil, I'd probably be flattered by that," she said, pointing her saber.

"Oh, I'm not evil," he smiled. "I'm just one of those guys who enjoys playing with their toys."

Ogremon leapt at the Emperor, who dodged the attack and in a series of swift kicks and punches knocked the ogre flat on the ground. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

"This is just priceless," he muttered. "Stay down like the insect you are." The Emperor then glanced at Leomon. "You have gotten in my way for the last time, Leomon."

Leomon raised his saber. "This is where your reign ends, Emperor. And not short enough it was."

Their sabers clashed in a flash of light. Leomon surged to take the initiative in the fight, but the Emperor proved just how fast and quick he could be, matching him strike for strike. For someone with a big mouth, he could put his money out there.

While in a saber lock, the Emperor put as much strength he could into breaking the hold and punched Leomon in the face. The lion fell and as he turned over, he was met with a saber pointing directly in his face.

"The time has come, the walrus said," the Emperor sneered as he raised his saber.

"NO!" Mimi cried as she jumped in to block the Emperor's attack. Her purple lightsaber stopped his just mere inches from Leomon's chest. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing Leomon die in front of her again.

"There we go," the boy smiled. "That's what I've been waiting to see, Mimi."

Mimi delivered a straight kick right to his face, like she was one of Charlie's Angels. The Emperor dropped his lightsaber and staggered back, his hand feeling around his jaw.

"Be careful what you wish for," Mimi smirked at him.

Yolei's jaw slacked and her eyes widened. That was probably the coolest thing she had ever seen. Mimi was so cool! Much more so than her sisters. Now she wished Mimi was her older sister instead.

"You'll pay for that!"

But before he could do anything, a strong green arm wrapped around his neck. Ogremon tightened his grip as the boy thrashed around, desperate to break free.

"You're not going anywhere, kid," he said while sporting a much wider grin.

"UNHAND ME, YOU WORTHLESS INSECT!" the Emperor shouted, but was unable to break Ogremon's headlock.

Croaks filled the air. The bushes rustled. The Gekomon and Otamamon were back. Blaster fire shot out of the foliage toward the four combatants. Yolei and Leomon blocked them left and right. The scene was such chaos that no one noticed the Emperor slip out of Ogremon's grip.

Mimi and Ogremon jumped in to assist with the blaster fire. The objective was to free the amphibious Digimon from the control of the Dark Rings, so they redirected any energy beams they could to hit them.

One after one, the Gekomon and Otamamon were slowly freed from the control of the Dark Rings until they all were rid of them.

"Princess Mimi!" One of the Gekomon exclaimed. "It's you!"

Mimi blushed in embarrassment at her old title that she insisted they call her by.

"Just Mimi, please," she said. "I'm not your princess anymore."

"Sorry," said on of the Otamamon. "It's just we're used to calling you that."

The Jedi of Sincerity shrugged it off with a wave of her hand. "It's no problem. Please stay well, everyone!"

"So long, princess!" the creatures cried as they left the forest. Mimi and Yolei watched with smiles on their faces, knowing things were going to be okay from now on.

"See what happens when you try and step in places you don't belong, you little –" Ogremon's eyes widened when he saw that nothing was in his arm. "Damn it! He got away!"

"Don't worry about it, Ogremon," Leomon assured him. "The Emperor will run and hide like he always does. He's a coward."

"Yeah, I know," Ogremon pouted. "But we need to squash that little bug the first chance we get."

"Exercise some patience."

"Patience, shma-tience."

The two Digimon ceased their arguing and looked back at the two Jedi.

"Well, it's been fun to see you again, Destined Jedi," Leomon bowed to them. "We are glad to know you will all be here to help us in this fight."

Mimi bowed back. "Of course. Take care of yourselves."

Leomon and Ogremon waved goodbye before walking through the forest. Mimi and Yolei watched for a few seconds before looking at each other.

"Those two are just like an old married couple," said Yolei.

Mimi sweatdropped and chuckled nervously. "You would not believe the half of it."

"Mimi?"

"Hm?"

Yolei twiddled her thumbs nervously as she thought of what to say. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure if what she was going to say would be any good.

"C-Can you be my big sister?" she asked.

Mimi's eyes widened in shock from the question. She did not see it coming at all. It was a little strange to be asked something like that.

She scratched her head with a nervous chuckle. "I'm…not sure it works that way."

"But you're so much cooler than my real sisters," Yolei took the older girl's hands in hers. "I wish I had a sister that was more like you than them. I think you're the coolest, Mimi!"

"Well, I am honored that you think of me that way, Yolei," Mimi smiled appreciatively. "I can't take the place of your real sisters, but I'll certainly be your friend when you need one. Does that sound okay?"

Yolei thought about it for a moment. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Mimi was right. She smiled before nodding happily.

"Perfecto!" she exclaimed.

"Guys!"

Mimi gasped. That was Tai's voice.

"Tai!" she cried. "We're here!"

The rest of the Destined Jedi came around the corner, relieved to see that their friends were okay.

"So what did we miss?" Davis asked.

Yolei shrugged. "The usual stuff," she said. "Emperor comes around, causes a little trouble, we fight back, and then he goes running when we're distracted."

"But this time, we had Leomon and Ogremon helping us," Mimi added.

Tai nodded. "We're happy that you guys are alright. Would you care to come back and finish our picnic with us?"

* * *

The rest of the day could not have gone better for the Jedi. They enjoyed plenty of laughs, great food, and great times with great friends. Soon, it was time go back to the real world. With one flash of light, they returned to the computer lab.

"What a day this was," said Davis. "We've gotta do this again."

Tai nodded happily. "I think I agree with you there, Davis. We'll regroup sometime soon to discuss what the next stage of our plan should be. We've got a long way to go before we can defeat the Emperor."

"You said it, Tai!"

Before everyone went their separate ways, Yolei called out to Mimi, "Hey, Mimi! I want to be just like you when I'm your age!"

Mimi felt her heart swell with pride. She beamed at Yolei and flashed a peace sign.

"Perfecto!" she said.

Behind the office windows, a man peered out at the scene in front of the school gates as the Jedi parted ways. He smiled while putting the last of the paperwork in the right mailboxes. Daigo Nishijima then went to the phone and dialed.

"_Hello?" _

"It's Nishijima," he said. "You'll be happy to know that things are going as planned."

* * *

**What is the Destined Jedi's next step in their plan to take down the Digimon Emperor? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**The banter between Yolei and Ogremon was inspired by interactions written by DigimonAT0318 and Super Saiyan 3 Odd because it was too good not to emulate. This was a hard week for me: I had so much going on and almost didn't finish on time but I worked like crazy yesterday to get it done for you. I start grad school this coming week, but my schedule is favorable so updates will press on like normal. **

**Leomon and Ogremon are indeed like an old married couple, aren't they? XD **

**Hope you all enjoyed this. As always leave a review telling me your thoughts on everything so far and also favorite and follow if you haven't done that yet. You're not going to want to miss what is coming. **

**See you guys next week ;-)**


	7. Training Pains

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Thanks. We all do things our own way, and you did yours. Nothing wrong with that. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: I needed something to replace the Roachmon brothers, so I decided to have Leomon and Ogremon act like the old married couple they are XD. We will see how they develop more in the future. **

**Music Chick: Yeah, those were funny. **

**Yagami Kuzuki: There's not going to be a world tour in this story, so she won't come into play. You'll find out why later. Glad to have you reviewing again.**

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thanks. They really are an old married couple XD**

**Shout out to HoneysBunny for the favorite and follow. **

* * *

**Welcome back everybody. Glad to be with you all again this week. First week of classes went alright. I cannot complain so far. This is the first of a handful of original chapters in this story. I'm excited about them and this one was super easy to write because the 02 kids start their training! Prepare for lots of laughs, Davis being involved in most of them. What can I say? I love teasing him.**

**Big thank you to Ackbarfan for writing the last part here. **

**Hope you guys enjoy it. On with the show!**

* * *

Tai slurped his noodles noisily as he enjoyed his bowl of shio ramen. The noodles were nice and chewy, the broth clean and delicious, and the chashu pork melted in his mouth once it touched his tongue. There was nothing better in the world.

It was lunch time and the cafeteria was crowded with middle school students. Matt, Sora, Izzy, and Mimi all sat with him at a table on the far side. The five former Destined Jedi reflected on everything that had happened in the last month. After the picnic they had on Sunday, there was a lot to talk about now that they had all experienced the Emperor first hand.

"Did you guys see what happened on _Yu-Gi-Oh _last night?" Matt asked. "Joey had to duel with one of the Big Five that took the form of a Judge Man as its Deck Master. It was insane! Joey had to pull some luck out of his ass a few times, but he managed to win when Noah had enough with the guy cheating."

Looking around, he noticed his enthusiasm was not shared with everybody else.

He sweatdropped. "You guys don't watch it?"

"No," said Tai. "It's a show about a card game. What's so great about that?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "It's better than watching that piece of crap show, _One Piece. _I don't understand it all."

"That's because you don't have an adventurous side of you, Matt," the brunette shot. "You know who you remind me of on the show? Sanji."

"Who's that?"

Mimi huffed and set her bottle of green tea down. "They're both stupid," she said. "Nothing is better than _Fruits Basket._" She and Sora had a dreamy look in their eyes, while Matt and Tai wanted to throw up whatever food was in their stomachs.

"That show ended almost a year ago!" Matt argued. "Why are you girls still talking about it?"

"Because it's a great show!"

"No it's not! It's smutty shojo trash!" Tai interjected.

"Have you ever seen it?" Sora jumped in.

"Unfortunately, yes I have. Kari forced me to sit through every episode with her!"

Izzy sat back and drank his oolong tea with a subtle smug look on his face. He didn't care to interject in this ridiculous conversation. There were still so many questions that needed to be answered about what to do in the next phase of their war against the Digimon Emperor.

"So what do we do next?" he asked. "We tried capturing the Emperor, but he was more elusive than we thought."

"You bet he is," Tai nodded with a groan. "That little pest knows everything about us, but we don't know anything about him. It's driving me crazy that he can guess our every move before we even make it."

"That's right," Matt agreed. "He knew I was coming for you guys before I was even there and set up a trap for me."

"And you kicked him where it hurts," Tai slapped him five.

Sora took a bite of her tempura and rice while in deep thought. If the Emperor could guess what they were going to do next, maybe they should try something different. To have the element of surprise, the Jedi had to do something he would never expect.

"I think I have an idea," she finally said. "Maybe we should take a couple days away from everything and come up with a new strategy."

Her idea was met with confused looks. Sora was usually the one who came up with sensible ideas, but the four other Jedi were confused at what she was getting at.

"What are you saying, Sora?" asked Tai. "I don't get it."

"I'm saying that we should have a talk with the younger kids and ask them to stay away from the Digital World for a couple days while we figure out a way that we can take the Emperor by surprise. Right now, we're pretty predictable in our approach. If the Emperor can't figure out what we are doing next, we can catch him off guard."

As her words sunk in, the other four Jedi started to come around to the idea. If they kept doing the same thing every day, they were never going to figure out a new way to defeat the Emperor. Maybe a couple days away was a good strategy.

Matt nodded before speaking. "That's not a bad idea," he said. "Maybe something will come to us during that time and then we can use it to win against Little Adolf."

The lunch bell rang. All the students got up from their tables and put their trays up at the window for dishes. The Jedi did the same and went their separate ways. Matt went one way to his class, Tai and Sora went another way to theirs, and Izzy and Mimi walked down the hall together.

* * *

"You want us to do what?" Davis couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tai actually wanted them to stay out of the Digital World for the time being?

"It's just temporarily until we can figure this out," explained the bushy haired former leader. "We can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. That's the definition of insanity."

"What's insane is running away with our tails between our legs while the Emperor does God-knows-what to more Digimon!"

TK and Kari watched in conflicted silence. What Tai and the older Jedi were saying was true: They had to figure out another way to fight the Emperor. But they also didn't want to see any more Digimon suffer the wrath of someone drunk on power that they took forcefully. They weren't sure what to do.

Cody turned to the two of them. "What do you guys think?" he asked. "You're our leader, TK. What should we do?"

The blonde sunk his top teeth into his bottom lip as he thought hard about what to do. The more he thought about it, the more the time off from going to the Digital World seemed like a good idea. The benefits outweighed whatever negatives there were.

"I'm with Tai," he finally said. "We'll take some time off to figure out what to do next. Let's all go home."

The younger Jedi nodded silently, though TK felt they all had something they wanted to say. Even Kari looked like she didn't fully agree with what he wanted to do.

"You all want to say something?"

Kari spoke first. "It's not that we disagree with you, TK, but I don't think we should be taking this time off. Not now. The Emperor conquers new territory a day and subjugates more Digimon. Soon, there won't be any free place left in the Digital World if we leave it unprotected."

"She's right, TJ," Davis added. "Aren't we supposed to be the Destined Jedi? The ones who save the Digital World from evil? We won't be doing our job if we don't go."

Tai stepped in to back TK up. "I get how you guys feel, but what good are you going to be if you don't know everything about being a Jedi? We're keepers of the peace, not soldiers. We can't solve all of the Digital World's problems ourselves."

Davis opened his mouth to argue, but held his tongue at the last moment. He could argue with TK without a thought, but Tai was someone he refused to argue with. The older teenager had never been wrong in the advice he had given him about soccer or life, so whenever Tai spoke, he listened.

Tai listened to what their eyes were expressing. "We'll figure this out. Don't worry. We are on it as we speak. But go home, spend time with your families, and we'll let you know when we figure something out. Okay?"

The three children nodded and filed out of the computer lab one at a time in a straight line with their heads hung low. They didn't say anything as they left, reflecting deeply on Tai's words of encouragement.

TK turned to Tai and smiled. "Thanks for the backup."

"I'm here to help you out, partner," the teenager patted him on the shoulder. "I know it's hard, but as you go along, you'll grow more confident in your leadership. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to share them with me."

The younger blonde nodded. Knowing Tai had his back gave him a good deal of confidence. It was still weird knowing that he was the one making decisions and leading a team.

"Come on. Everyone's going over to Izzy's."

* * *

"Oh, I am kicking your butt!" TK snickered as he and Matt got more into their match in _Tekken 4. _His character on the screen had just won the first round of the best-of-three fight.

"_Round two. Fight!" _

"It's gonna be a dramatic comeback here, Teek," Matt shot back as the sound of their thumbs clicking buttons filled Izzy's bedroom.

The entire group took advantage of not going to the Digital World for the time being and enjoyed good food made by Izzy's mother, games, and not worrying about anything else. The mood was light, and they all just enjoyed being together. They lived for the moment.

"Aw man."

Well, almost everyone.

"I really should be studying right now," Joe sat on the bed, looking miserable. He held a red plastic cup in his hand. "I've got an important test coming up."

Mimi pouted. "Oh, come on, Joe," she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and shook him. "Don't be such a stick in the mud. You'll be fine. Try to have some fun."

Joe smiled weakly, hoping to satisfy Mimi enough so that she'd leave him alone. Tai and Sora compared notes for a quiz that was coming up soon, the computer genius was on his computer working on something, and Kari watched Matt and TK continue their video game battle.

Suddenly, and without explanation, the electricity in the room cut out. A scream rang out.

"Ow! Mimi! Don't scream in my ear!" Izzy glared at her.

"That wasn't me!" she protested.

The computer genius looked behind him and saw that Joe was right next to him. His face was red with embarrassment.

"What happened to the lights?" Matt demanded. He was right about to finish TK off and win the match when the electricity went out. "Izzy, did you plan this?"

Izzy glared at him. "Why would I do that, Matt?" he shot. "What motivation do I have to cut off electricity in my room?"

"You'd be surprised."

In the middle of the room, a subdued blue light glowed like a nightlight. The group watched with interest as a small human form emerged from the light. The figure was revealed as the light faded away. It was an old man, no taller than waist high with a shaved head, save for a patch of white hair pulled back into a ponytail on the back of his head. His squinty eyes gave the appearance of being closed, like Brock, and wore a navy yukata. A subtle blue light outlined the man, giving him a ghostly appearance.

He smiled. "Hello, my friends."

The kids' jaws hit the floor, their eyes wide as saucers. This had to be a dream. There was no way that Gennai was standing in front of them right now.

"G-Gennai?" Izzy breathed.

The old man chuckled. "Surprised to see me?"

Everyone slowly nodded.

"I haven't seen all of you since you were as tall as me. Now you've all grown quite nicely. How have you all been?"

"Fine," TK replied. "It's great to see you again, Gennai."

"Feeling's mutual, TK," Gennai nodded his head to the boy. He felt strength and power radiating from him. He certainly had grown. The goggles on his head were a surprise, but from what he had seen, the blonde was more than capable of wearing them.

"What are you doing here, Gennai?" Joe asked.

"I have come to ask a favor. I've noticed the three new Jedi are still trying to find their way. They have a lot still to learn, more than you lot did by the time you came to me. If they are going to help you defeat this Digimon Emperor, then they'll need help of their own."

"What's the favor?" asked Tai.

The old man glanced at him, then Sora, and finally Joe.

"Tai, Sora, Joe, I want the three of you to train them. I've felt the bond growing between you and them over these past weeks. If they are indeed to become the new Destined Jedi, then they need to be trained by someone they can trust," he explained. "Show them the ways of the Force, how to use a lightsaber, and how to restore balance to the Digital World. Teach them everything that I taught you so that the Digimon Emperor can be stopped."

The three Jedi didn't know what to say. Being asked to not only train the three new Jedi, but also to guide them through everything? It was a tall task that they weren't even sure they were ready for.

"I-I don't know about this, Gennai," Joe answered. "The three of us are fairly busy with our afterschool activities, so I don't think we're –"

"There is no better Jedi that I entrust with this responsibility more than the three of you," Gennai interrupted. "You're smart, strong, and powerful in more ways than just prowess in battle. I can see it in your hearts that you will be successful training them. You have my full confidence."

"Is that all?" asked Sora.

Gennai shook his head. "Not yet. When you feel that they are ready, you will send them to my younger counterpart in the Digital World for him to finish their training."

Izzy blinked. "Younger counterpart?"

"There's another you? That's impossible!" Mimi said.

Gennai chuckled. "My dear children, there are many ways that I can come back in the Digital World. My data is recreated over a long stretch of time until I am reborn in a new body. This younger version of me possesses all memories from my life, but he is a perfect copy. Trust me, he's quite an interesting one. He will supervise their final tests, including going into a place you all know well."

A collective chill ran down their spines. The original seven Jedi immediately knew what he was talking about. They were still haunted by the memories of what happened in the forest and didn't wish the same fate upon anyone, not even their worst enemies. In the forest, they had to face their worst fears or worst experiences. For Tai, that was when Kari almost died under his watch; Sora, when she told her mother off for missing the soccer game; and Joe's was his fear of being a failure and his parents disowning him for not being as good as his brothers.

"The forest?" Joe asked hesitantly.

A nod from Gennai confirmed their fears.

"That's right. Can I trust you three to do this?"

Tai looked at Sora, who looked at Joe. The three of them communicated with just their expressions as they thought about what to do. Davis and Yolei had no saber use experience, so they would be starting from the ground up. Cody had his kendo background and wouldn't need that much teaching in that respect. If they were going to stop the Emperor, then they needed to learn to fend for themselves when they couldn't join them on missions.

It was decided.

Tai nodded. "Okay, Gennai. We'll do it."

"Splendid! I knew I could trust the three of you! Tai, can I ask something else of you?"

"What?"

The old man looked over at Kari. "I want you to also train Kari since she did not train with you all when you came to me. She still has a lot to learn."

Kari looked at him blankly. "Gennai, Tai has taught me a lot ever since we saved the Digital World the first time. I am more than capable of taking care of myself in a battle."

"Ah, but there is still so much about the Force that you do not know, young one," Gennai explained. "Learning to fight is just one component of being a Destined Jedi. There is still so much more you have to be strong in. Things that will reveal themselves to you in time."

Kari nodded and sat back down on the floor.

"Go forth, my friends. The Digimon Emperor is growing more powerful by the day. If you do not act fast, he will be too powerful to destroy. May the Force be with you all."

The light faded away until it went away. Once it did, the electricity came back on and the sounds of the video game returned as well. But everyone was still trying to digest everything that they had just heard.

Three knocks rapped on the door.

"Izzy? Everything okay in there?" Mrs. Izumi asked from the other side. "I think a power surge went through the building."

"Yeah, Mom. Everything's okay," Izzy replied. "The power went out for a moment, but it's back on now."

"Good. Tell your friends that it's getting late. They all should be getting back home soon."

"Okay."

* * *

The younger Destined Jedi watched with unwavering focus as Tai, Joe, and Sora explained to them what they were told by Gennai the next day after school. While they were paying attention, they couldn't help the excitement that threatened to overwhelm them. This was their chance to truly learn to be Jedi.

"So what do you guys think? Do you trust us to show you how to become real Destined Jedi?" Tai asked. "I will say this: It will not be easy. If you think you're going to be masters after just one day, think again. You'll always be learning something every day, whether it be by us or you learn it yourself, until we send you to this new Gennai for him to complete your training."

"It will be fun, but it will also be a lot of work," Sora continued. "We're here to help you. Don't be afraid to ask any questions. The only way you can become the Destined Jedi is if you believe you can be them."

"That's right," Joe finished. "Any questions?"

Davis, Yolei, and Cody all raised their hands. Tai pointed to the burgundy-haired boy first.

"When can we get started?" he asked.

Everybody laughed. His enthusiasm was encouraging, but Tai felt he didn't fully grasp what the training would hold for him.

"Now," he replied before pointing at Yolei.

"What kinds of things are we going to do during our training sessions?"

"We'll teach you how to feel the Force, how to use it to your advantage, and the basics of saber training," Sora answered. Yolei nodded as the Jedi of Love looked at Cody. "Cody, since you have a kendo background, you have a good handling of the basics of sword fighting. Joe won't have much trouble training you with that. You'll learn a few things that are different from regular kendo though."

The boy nodded before asking his question. "How are we going to tell our families about this? If we're practicing with sabers, then something is bound to be heard from the other room. I don't want to have to lie about this. My grandfather said anyone who lies is not honorable."

Joe smiled at the boy. "Don't worry, Cody. We would never ask you to lie to your parents about this. But you are right. It would be hard to explain what we're doing since your families have no idea about any of this."

The Jedi of Reliability thought hard for a moment. What cover could they use to explain their constant coming over when they started training? They couldn't just say, "Hey, how's it going Mr. and Mrs. Whoever? I'm here to train your child on how to be a warrior for the Digital World. Don't mind if there's a large slash through the door. Thank you." They'd be laughed right out of the apartment. It had to be something that their parents would accept.

Suddenly, it hit him.

"Tutoring," he muttered.

"What was that, Joe?" asked Sora.

The fifteen-year-old snapped his fingers as the idea firmly planted itself in his mind. It would totally work.

"That's it! We'll say that we're tutoring you guys so that your parents don't become suspicious of our activities." Joe saw Cody thin his lips. "We're technically not lying, Cody. We are tutoring you guys. Just in the ways of the Force and saber combat."

That seemed to make the boy feel a little better because he relented with a nod.

"You don't have to worry about my parents finding out, Tai," said Davis. "They won't care. Jun, on the other hand, we have to be careful around. She thinks she has the right to know everything I do and we can't risk her snooping around."

That would be a problem, Tai realized. Especially if Jun was as crazy as Matt made her out to be. She'd probably annoy him with a thousand questions about the blonde-haired musician any time he came over.

"Then we'll just train at my place," he said. "Kari will be training with us too."

Davis punched the sky in jubilation. Not only was Tai going to be training him, but he would also be training with Kari. Maybe he could make inroads with her this way.

"Then let's get started!" he exclaimed, once again to resounding laughter. He didn't understand what they were laughing about. "What?"

* * *

Tai tried to stay cool as he felt Jun's eyes gazing right into him, like she was trying to figure out what his real intentions were. Davis' parents were pleasant, and graciously welcomed him in, but Jun was more hostile. Kari felt the tension too as she stood beside her brother.

"So you're saying that you're going to be tutoring my little squirt of a brother?" she asked.

"And what's so wrong with that?" Davis shot back.

"Nothing. It's just many have tried and failed to help him, so if you think you can do it, be my guest."

Jun walked out of the living room and back into her bedroom. Tai let the breath he didn't know he had been holding loose. Now that Jun was gone, the atmosphere lightened.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Tai," said Mr. Motomiya. He looked like he wanted to give Tai a big kiss. "I've tried everything to get this kid's grades up, but nothing seems to work. Maybe you're the person we needed! Thank you!"

Tai sweatdropped. "Don't mention it."

* * *

Cody's grandfather opened the door when Joe knocked. He had been anxiously waiting to meet the man, and finally got his chance. The small boy stood beside him.

"Cody," Chikara greeted.

"Hi, Grandfather," Cody returned.

The teenager smiled and bowed as Chikara set his sights on him. "Good day, sir. My name is Joe Kido. Cody has told me so much about you. It's an honor to meet you." He stuck his hand out to shake the man's hand.

"So you are the famous Joe that Cody has told me about," the man replied as he shook Joe's hand. "It is an honor to meet you as well. Come inside."

The two boys stepped inside, removing their shoes and stepping into slippers that waited at the edge of the hardwood floors. Cody's mother was in the kitchen preparing a snack.

"Fumiko, we have a guest," Chikara announced.

Mrs. Hida looked up from the counter and saw the bespectacled teenager. On first impression, he seemed like a mature, responsible young man.

"Hi, Mrs. Hida," Joe stepped up to introduce himself. "I'm Joe Kido. It's nice to meet you."

The woman wiped her hands free of any sticky rice that remained to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you, Joe," she replied. "I don't believe we've met before. How do you know Cody?"

Joe had an explanation planned if this type of question came up. "I've been helping Izzy Izumi with the computer club lately, and Cody and I happened to meet during one of their meetings," he answered flawlessly. "He's a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. Must be because of you."

Mrs. Hida blushed. "I would love to think that," she chuckled. "Do you want some ohagi? I was making a batch when you boys came in."

"Yes, please," Joe nodded with a smile.

"Would you like something to drink too?"

"Water would be fine, thank you."

Soon, the four of them sat around the rosewood dining table eating ohagi. Joe explained that Cody had asked him to tutor him because he was struggling with some of the concepts in his math class.

"But you have always been a good math student, Cody," his mother said, completely confused why he would be asking for help in a strong subject of his.

"I know," the boy replied. "But there's nothing wrong with having a second opinion."

Mrs. Hida shrugged. "I guess not. Well, as long as you boys are serious about it, then I think it's okay."

Joe smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Hida. I promise to do my best to help Cody." He then turned to Chikara. "And from what I understand, you teach Cody kendo, right, sir?"

"That's right," the man nodded.

"Well, I asked Cody if he could show me a few moves. Is it okay if we rent out the dojo for an hour or two every other day?" Joe hoped he would say yes. The group would need a place to practice their saber techniques once they got to that point. If they practiced in each other's apartments, it would get crazy and someone would see.

Chikara looked at his grandson. "Are you sure this is what you want, Cody?"

Cody glanced from his grandfather to Joe. The Jedi of Reliability was begging with his eyes for him to agree. He bit his lip. As much as he hated lying, especially to his grandfather, he knew that it was better for them to have a place to practice than risk either his grandfather or mother walking in on them.

He nodded. "Yes."

"Then it is fine with me," Chioka said with a smile. "It's wonderful to see someone taking an interest in the martial arts."

* * *

The next day, the group met at the dojo in the police precinct that Cody's grandfather worked at, with his permission. Tai, Sora, and Joe greeted the five Destined Jedi as they walked inside. They wore athletic shorts and loose shirts so that they could be comfortable in the stuffy dojo. It was their first time training anyone, so they were nervous about whether they would do a good job or not. With a deep breath, they remembered that Gennai expressed his full confidence in them to do what needed to be done.

"Thanks for coming, everyone," said Tai. "And welcome to your first official day of training. All we ask is that you be willing to learn and do as we tell you. The only way you're going to be good Destined Jedi is if you learn everything you need to know quickly. We only had two weeks to learn everything, so we are going to take this nice and slow." He turned to Joe. "Blinds, please."

Joe nodded and closed the blinds, darkening the room enough so that the light did not distract any of them. The three older Jedi sat on the floor in a lotus position, which the younger ones copied. TK sat next to Tai.

"Are we doing yoga or something?" Yolei asked.

Sora chuckled. "Not quite. We're going to start with something simple. Close your eyes and just breathe through your nose."

The children did as told and relaxed before shutting their eyes. The whole dojo was filled with the sound of inhales and exhales through the nose. It was the perfect environment for fostering Force energy.

"Now channel your focus inward," said Tai. "Take notice of every emotion going through you. The more you know yourself, the better you can relate to others. The Force is in all living things, but it starts with you."

Cody felt like he was observing everything from afar. His mind was calm and focused on the moment. Thoughts would flash before his eyes, but he let them go after one moment. He felt the energy of everyone in the room. The tattoo on his wrist started to flicker with purple and white light.

Kari breathed silently as she felt the emotions and thoughts of everyone in the room. Her brother's thoughts and feelings, Sora's, Joe's, everyone's. Even TK's. Davis, on the other hand, was a ball of energy that couldn't settle down even if he tried. It was all too quiet for his taste.

He growled. "This is stupid!" he exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Yolei hissed at him.

"Relax your mind, Davis," Tai said in a hushed voice. He placed his hand on the boy's head to try and settle him down. "Now breathe and try not to think. Just feel."

"All I'm feeling right now is your hand on my head."

_Thump! _

"Ow!" Davis rubbed the top of his head. "Hey! What'd you do that for?"

"Did you feel that too?" Tai snapped.

"Yes!"

"Good! Now sit down, be quiet, and reach out with your feelings."

With a huff, Davis closed his eyes and "reached out" like Tai told him. He flinched as all sorts of thoughts, sounds, emotions, and other things flooded his mind. It was so overwhelming to him that he snapped his eyes open after a few seconds.

"What's wrong?" Tai asked.

"Too much," he gasped. "It's too much stimulation."

"Then just focus on here. Focus on us."

Davis nodded and closed his eyes again, this time keeping his thoughts on what was going on in the dojo. He felt Tai's energy, Kari's, everybody else. The peacefulness of the moment set his restless mind at ease finally and breathed quietly. The symbols of Courage and Friendship glowed with a flicker of light.

"Keep yourselves in the moment," Tai would say every now and then. "The outside world does not matter. Only the here and now matters. Let the Force flow through you."

After an hour, the session was brought to an end. First impressions were encouraging for the older Destined Jedi. The younger kids did everything that was asked of them, even Davis. Tai knew he had his work cut out for him with the younger boy; he would have to learn patience, much like he did. The difference between them is Tai couldn't send Davis deep within a cave to relive a memory encouraging him to learn to be patient. He would just have to teach him about that.

"Good luck, you all," the Jedi of Courage said with a bow. "May the Force be with you. We'll see you guys tomorrow. We'll be doing more of the same for the next few days."

Davis groaned. He wanted to start learning how to use a lightsaber as soon as possible. "Why can't we jump right into using a lightsaber?" he begged. "We aren't going to defeat the Emperor just by sitting and meditating."

A smirk curled up Tai's mouth. "In good time, Davis," he snickered. "In good time. Be careful what you wish for."

* * *

Ken Ichijouji sat at his desk in absolute boredom as he scribbled down math problems. Things had gotten boring the last couple of days, and he didn't know what to do with himself.

'_Where are they?' _he wondered as the industrial rock music pounded in his headphones. _'It's been four days. What is a cat without a mouse to chase? What is Joker without Batman to foil his fun?' _

Ken was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that he was scribbling down whatever came to his mind rather than focusing on the equations. He didn't care; his ego was bruised by the thought of the Destined Jedi thinking he wasn't worth their time anymore. His anger rose higher and higher until it finally reached critical. He ripped his headphones out of his ears and threw the pencil across the room, sticking into the far wall like a dart.

His lightsaber emerged and in a blind rage, Ken went to slash the wall –

_Knock! Knock! _

"Ken?"

The boy ceased his attack before he drove his lightsaber across the plaster wall. It was not his mother this time, but his father. He retracted the blade and put it back on his desk before answering the door.

"Yes, father?" he said.

Mr. Ichijouji eyed his son curiously, like he knew something was not right with Ken, but shrugged his shoulders.

"Your dinner's getting cold, and your mother sent me to fetch you to come eat," he explained. "You can't finish your homework on an empty stomach after all."

Ken fought to keep his eyes from narrowing with annoyance. How could he eat at a time like this? He was in the middle of venting his frustrations with the pests that annoyed him every day.

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry," he replied.

"You have to eat something," Mr. Ichijouji pressed. "Come on and eat with us."

Ken waved his hand. "I'm not hungry. You can go on and eat without me."

"Okay, we'll eat without you," said his father. "Just make sure you eat something before long."

"Okay." Ken sneered when his father's back turned. _'Fool.'_

* * *

"Okay, so this should work perfectly for your training." Tai said as the group arrived to the dojo. "Glad you were able to get this place, Cody."

The young boy gave a slight bow to his senior. "You're welcome, Tai."

"Alright then, let's get to some sword fighting already!" Davis was certainly gung-ho for action since he wasn't getting it in the Digital World at the moment.

Tai gave his sister a look as she shrugged, which indicated to him that he shouldn't keep his protégé waiting. With enthusiasm like that, it wasn't going to be kept caged for long.

"Well, since you're so excited for it, you can go first. Just a quick reminder though, this is training so don't actually hit anyone. Trust me, it doesn't feel good." Tai said as he rubbed the shoulder where Myotismon stabbed him all those years ago.

"Got it."

Soon, he and Davis walked to the center of the dojo room while the others all sat down and watched.

Both spikey haired boys looked each other down before they grabbed their lightsabers and ignited them. Tai moved into a defensive stance while Davis had no real form to him. He just stood with his defenses completely exposed.

"Let's begin." Tai nodded.

Davis charged forward with a battle cry, ready to show Tai what he was capable of.

He was met with a punch right to the face. Davis fell backwards as he clutched his face with his free hand. Yolei and Kari doubled over with laughter while TK rolled on the floor in hysterics. Even Cody couldn't help but chuckle. The burgundy-haired boy turned red with embarrassment.

"What was that for, Tai?!" Davis cried as he tried to reorient himself.

"You can't just simply charge forward and expect to win, Davis," the Jedi of Courage explained. "If you were facing the Emperor right now, you'd have his saber right through your chest. You obviously need the training if you're going to have any chance of surviving."

Davis growled. "I've been fine!"

Tai shook his head. "You've been lucky. You can't rely on simple luck."

"I thought there was so such thing as luck, only the Force?" Kari teased, which caused a few members in the group to chuckle.

"That's right," Tai gave her a wink.

He got into position, ready for Davis to come at him once more. The boy came, and was thrown to the floor with a hip toss and found a lightsaber pointed in his face.

"Got you again," Tai clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. This was starting to get boring.

The next couple of minutes were just a constant loop of Davis being floored by Tai. His stubbornness kept him from truly learning, which Tai could easily see as a repeat of his younger self.

At least Davis wasn't running the risk of nearly getting himself killed by being stabbed by Myotismon.

Tai knocked Davis on the ground once again before turning off his lightsaber.

"You want to know why I gave TK the goggles, Davis? It's because he actually learns from his mistakes. Meanwhile, you seem to just keep trying the same thing over when it's clear it doesn't work for you."

Davis growled in frustration once more before Tai held his arm out. "Just focus on learning what I teach you and you'll be an incredible Jedi in no time."

The younger man took a deep breath before he grabbed Tai's hand and was brought up.

"Well, it looks like they're finished for right now. Yolei, shall we try?" Sora asked as she stood up. Yolei excitedly nodded before the two girls soon stood at the center of the dojo.

"Now, then, Yolei, I want you to try to block my attacks, alright?"

"Got it!" Yolei shouted as she ignited her saber. Sora followed suit and slowly began to creep forward before she started her attacks.

Yolei blocked the first swipe towards her face with ease but Sora quickly tried another attack and Yolei hurriedly blocked the strike for her hips. The sabers collided before she suddenly found Sora's saber right next to her head.

"You have to be quicker than that, Yolei." Sora simply said. Yolei took a deep breath.

The two girls tried again, but it was clear that Yolei was getting more and more frustrated with each defeat she had. There were a few points where she defended quite well, only for Sora to get the drop on her.

"Come on! This is ridiculous! Can't you just let me win one!?" Yolei started to throw a tantrum.

"Do you think the Emperor or one of his servants will just 'let you win'?" Sora asked as she deactivated her lightsaber. "Be mindful of your feelings, Yolei. Control your anger."

"But come on! You're moving too fast for me! At least slow it down and let me slowly build my way to your level or something."

Sora nodded at Yolei's words. Gennai was a good teacher, but he only had a limited time to teach not only her but the rest of the Destined Jedi, so the training had to be moving forward at a faster pace. Now that she was the teacher, perhaps she could teach her own way rather than Gennai's.

"Okay, Yolei. I see your point," she said. "But remember, you can't expect yourself to be a full-fledged Jedi overnight. It takes a lot of work and concentration. I will be here to help you the whole time."

Yolei took a deep breath and stood in deep thought. Sora was right. A lot was already being asked of her, so she needed to take this as seriously as she could. If they were going to stop the Emperor, they had to take every bit of help and advice they could get.

"Got it," she nodded.

"Hey, how's about Cody and I spar now and give you girls a break?" Joe suggested. Yolei sighed with relief while Sora nodded and they both sat down on the side.

Soon, Cody and Joe were looking each other down with their sabers out, but not activated yet. Cody was in the normal kendo stance before he took a small bow, which Joe reciprocated before the snap of their blades could be heard.

"Cody, think you can get past my defenses?" Joe asked.

"I'll try," Cody didn't sound too confident when he said that.

Joe smirked. "You'll do fine. Besides, do or do not. There is no try."

Cody looked confused. "Wait, how does that work if I don't try?"

Joe looked around the room to Tai and Sora and got shrugs from them. "Um, well, actually that line makes no sense to me either."

"I think Yoda was speaking gibberish at that point." Tai chuckled.

The room got serious once more as Cody moved a foot forward and got ready to attack. He made his move and tried to slash Joe across the chest, but Joe was quick and blocked the strike. Cody quickly tried to take advantage of his defensive stroke and go for Joe's legs. The eldest Jedi responded with another block before he took a step back. Cody moved up to close the distance once more and tried three more swings; two at Joe's head and one at his waist.

Joe expertly blocked all of them before the next wave of attacks came. Cody tried for a full minute to break through the young man's defense, but he would only get the sound of the blades colliding without even a single opening.

Cody went for one more strike, a stabbing motion, but Joe moved out of the way and slashed down at Cody's saber before his blade was several inches from Cody's neck. Both boys panted as the caught their breath as Joe deactivated his lightsaber.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you, Joe," Cody sadly admitted as he turned off his saber. "I wasn't able to break through your defenses like you asked me to."

Joe's eyes widened before he started to laugh. "Relax, Cody. I'm not disappointed with you in the slightest. I was actually going to say you did a great job."

"But I didn't do as you said." Cody looked slightly confused.

"I wasn't expecting you to, but you clearly show that you're quite talented with the saber. Those kendo lessons have truly helped. Besides, you did nearly get me a few times, I will admit." Joe chuckled which brought a small proud smile on the young boy's face.

Cody bowed to the teenager. "Thank you, Joe. I promise I will not let you down any further."

Joe bowed back. "I don't expect you to."

The rest of the lesson was spent with the younger Jedi sparring with each other. Tai, Sora, and Joe watched from the sidelines as various battles happened before them. TK put on a saber clinic against Davis, who only grew even more frustrated with not winning. Kari did her best to encourage Yolei to practice blocking, and Cody was more than a match for TK. The two went strike for strike with each other, which was not easy with how advanced TK was. Their match ended with a draw.

Joe got a good sense of what style Cody would be best suited for. His attacks were powerful, and he was quick with his small frame allowing him to get out of a jam, but he never neglected his defense. The Shien style of saber combat was perfect for him.

Yolei was a striker; that was obvious to Sora. She invested too much in putting her strength into every attack that she brought, neglecting her defense as a result. If she could help her improve it, then there was no reason that the Djem So style would not be a good fit for her. The problem was going to be getting Yolei to control her anger. Whenever things didn't go her way, her anger would rise until it consumed her.

Tai knew he had a tall task with Davis. The boy never found a fight he didn't want to engage in. He had to tame the beast inside of him in order for Davis to settle down and learn the proper way to use a lightsaber. With his restless spirit and hotheadedness, Tai had a hunch that teaching him the style he originated was best. If Davis could channel that fire and spirit into the form, then he would be a great saber user. Kari was a lot less of a work in progress, thanks to all the training they had done together over the last three years.

After another half-hour, the session was brought to a halt.

"Good work today, everyone," said Tai. "Today was just an introduction course to what real combat is like. We've analyzed what your tendencies are and will decide which saber style is right for you to emphasize in. We won't be doing many more sessions together, so listen to what each of us tells you when we have a lesson. You all have the makings of being great Destined Jedi in you. Be proud of yourselves."

His words were met with nods and proud smiles. If things went well enough, the Digimon Emperor better watch out when they all came back to take him down.

* * *

**What awaits the Destined Jedi next now that they've begun their training? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**That was an awesome chapter, if I do say so myself. So much going on, including arguing over favorite shows XD Those little moments are things I wish they had done in the show to keep the older kids involved rather than kicking them aside until called up. There is a good way to balance everybody out and give them proper time while keeping the focus on the younger kids. I think Tai has got his hands full with Davis. What do you guys think? **

**Next time, Tai gets tickets to a soccer match as an early birthday present, Kari is trapped inside Machine City, and TK and Davis have to learn to put their differences aside for a common purpose. Maybe even an encounter with Ken Ichijouji awaits them too. Find out next time ;-)**

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to keep up with more Destined Jedi. See you guys next week ;-)**


	8. Machine City

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes they do. You're welcome. Thanks for the help. **

**Music Chick: I think you mean *ecstatic* XD **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: It'll be interesting, that's for sure. **

**Yagami Kuzuki: We'll see. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: *Sweat drop* You'll see soon.**

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thanks. It'll be interesting to see how things move forward. **

**Also, thank you to Morgan638 for the favorite and follow. Much appreciated.**

* * *

**We are breezing through these chapters. It's been a lot of fun to write so far, though that may just be because I know what I'm doing with this. In this chapter, the gang goes back to the Digital World, but Kari gets stranded. Will the group be able to get her back safely? Find out.**

* * *

Davis inhaled and exhaled through his nose. Every breath he took brought new energy to his body as he focused on feeling everything near him. His face turned red when a particular energy reached out for him. Davis opened his eyes and glanced over at Kari, who was peaceful and focused. She didn't open her eyes to look back at him, but a small smile curved up the right corner of her mouth.

The door opened slightly, and Davis quickly recovered to shut his eyes and look like he was focused. Tai came back into his bedroom and sat down in front of the two children.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," he said.

The two younger Destined Jedi slowly opened their eyes. Things were a little fuzzy for Kari initially, but her vision cleared up after a few seconds. Over these past three days, her Force energy had grown stronger. She could feel it. She had grown more aware of things, even the emotions of others.

A few moments ago, she heard the cries of beings coming from somewhere far. They were desperately pleading for help, but then were silenced. It had to be coming from the Digital World.

"What did you guys reflect on?" Tai asked.

Kari went first. "I think I heard a cry from the Digital World," she said. "The Emperor is causing more suffering. We have to go back now, Tai. The Digimon are depending on us."

"I'm with Kari, Tai," added Davis. "We've been out of the Digital World for a week now. We need to go back before the Digimon Emperor takes it over completely."

Tai's eyes went from one Jedi to the other and studied their faces. They pleaded with their eyes for him to yield to their wishes. He understood their frustration well, but he and the others still had not figured out a plan for what to do.

"I get where you guys are coming from, really, but we still haven't figured out a different strategy on how to defeat him," he replied. "I only ask that you guys be patient. The time will come soon."

Kari clenched her fist. Her anger towards her brother reached a boiling point. He was just going to ignore the lives of countless Digimon that were suffering?

"The time is now, Tai!" she yelled. "We can't sit on the sidelines anymore!"

The two boys couldn't believe what they were seeing. Kari never got this mad, or even raised her voice, to their knowledge at least. This must have been serious for her to react like this.

Mrs. Kamiya opened the door slightly and forced her head through the opening.

"Is everything okay in here?" she asked.

Tai nodded. "Yeah, Mom. Everything's okay."

Davis made an "A-Okay" signal with his thumb and index finger. "Everything's cool, Mrs. K. No need to worry."

The woman smiled and went to close the door. Before it did, she remembered something important she wanted to say and stuck her head back through the opening.

"Tai, can I see you for a moment?" she asked. "I have a surprise for you."

Tai had not expected this. He was briefly surprised, but got up and followed his mother into the living room. Davis and Kari sat and waited for him to return. They both knew they were right. They had to go back to the Digital World as soon as possible because without their presence, who knew what the Digimon Emperor was doing.

"YES!" a scream of joy came from the living room.

The two young Jedi sprung up to their feet and went into the other room to see what the commotion was about. Tai was running laps around the couch in utter adulation while his mother smiled happily nearby. Tai scooped her in his arms and swung her around with surprising strength for a young teenager.

"What's going on?" Davis chuckled at the display of emotion.

Tai flashed four small pieces of paper into their faces.

"Four tickets to the national soccer team's game tomorrow night!" he shouted at the top of his voice.

Davis joined Tai in his excitement. With the World Cup just around the corner, being co-hosted by both Japan and South Korea this year, soccer fever was in full swing in Japan. The Samurai Blue were being picked as a possible contender in the tournament.

"Be thankful your father and I were able to do this as an early birthday present for you," said Mrs. Kamiya. "Those tickets were not easy to get."

"I know they weren't," Tai nodded with the biggest smile on his face. He rushed forward to hug his mother again. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Happy birthday."

The Jedi of Courage turned to the two younger children. "You guys wanna go?" he asked hopefully.

Davis didn't hesitate in his answer. "I'm there with you, dude! I'm not missing a chance to see Hidetoshi Nakata live."

"Kari?"

The Jedi of Light smiled at her brother. "Sure."

Tai gave the two a ticket. One was left, and he had a good idea of who to ask to go with them. He just hoped she was down for it as well.

* * *

The Destined Jedi ran down the street to get away from the blaster fire that went off in bursts, whizzing past their heads and coming close to hit them. Rather than running in a straight line, they all ran in a diagonal line from one side of the street to the other.

"Don't run straight!" TK cried. "Retreat!"

"Shut it, TJ! They're coming!" Davis shouted.

Coming up the road, a group of mechanical Digimon called Guardromon shot blaster fire from the Dark Rings on their wrists. They were short, rust-colored robots with bulky bodies, which limited how fast they could move. Because of the Dark Rings on their arms, they didn't have to worry about moving fast; only destroying the Jedi.

The group ducked into an alleyway to escape the blaster fire. They had felt a disturbance in this area, so they decided to come here. The city was almost as big and wide as Tokyo, but looked like something out of a futuristic vision of what cities would look like. There were no people, or cars, or trains, so it felt like a deserted ghost town.

Cody bent over on his knees to catch his breath after running so hard. He wished Joe was here with them; he would know what to do in this situation. Unfortunately for the younger Jedi, their masters couldn't be there with them today. Tai and Sora had soccer practice after school, and Joe went to cram school because he had an important test later that week.

"That…was…interesting," he said while gasping for breath.

TK peeked out from behind the wall to see where their enemy was. The blaster fire had stopped, and the Guardromon were searching for them. They had a limited amount of time to make an escape.

"Looks like they've stopped," he said. "That's good."

"How are we going to get out of here?" Yolei asked, anxious to escape before they were found.

"The search for us should keep them occupied for a while. Even while under the Dark Ring's control, the Guardromon don't look too smart. Let's create a portal and use it to escape. We have to move on to a different area."

"Why can't we just use the TV?" Davis argued.

"It's too far away. We can't risk the Guardromon finding us."

Yolei, Kari, and Cody all nodded in agreement. Davis, however, was in no mood to be running away.

"Oh, come on!" he smacked the back of his fist against the concrete wall. "Enough running! Let's get these guys."

TK glared at him. "Have you learned anything these past few days?" he growled. "There is a time to fight, and then there is a time to run. This is a time to run, Davis. They have us outnumbered."

"But they're robots! They're slow! If we get a good jump on them, we could destroy those Dark Rings and free them from their control."

Before TK could respond, Davis ran from the alleyway with his lightsaber drawn towards the Guardromon. He was done listening to TK.

"Davis, come back!" the blonde leader called after him.

Kari ran out too. "I'll get him! You guys open the portal and leave now! Keep it open as long as you can!"

TK gritted his teeth and thinned his lips. He was going to teach that knucklehead Davis a lesson once they got back. What made it worse was he also put Kari in danger too. Cody and Yolei looked at him in waiting for what to do.

With an irritated exhale through his nose, TK made his decision.

"You heard her. Let's go!" he said, closing his eyes and stretching his hand out. The yellow light from the tattoo on his wrist glowed subtly as a portal opened right in the alleyway. Cody and Yolei didn't hesitate to jump in.

TK looked back at where Davis and Kari had run off to. The Guardromon resumed firing the blasters on their Dark Rings at the two Jedi as Davis deflected the spray of lasers. Kari grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away. They were headed back, so TK took his chance to jump through the portal.

"Davis, come on!" Kari roared over the blaster fire as she pulled him along.

"Let me at them!" Davis protested, trying to pull himself out of her grip, but it was strong as steel. _I guess Force powers make you stronger like that_, he thought.

"No! We've got to go!"

The two reached the alley. Kari forced Davis to jump into the portal first, and was about to go in herself when an explosion rocked the two buildings on either side of her. She was blown out of the alleyway and in clear sight of the Guardromon.

As she got up, she deflected a few blaster bolts away and tried to run back to the portal, but it had closed. Her head whipped around from left to right in search of a way out, before running to the left. She remembered that the television the group came out of was not far away.

She rounded the corner and sighed with relief. The television was just a few steps away. In a few moments, she would be back in the computer lab with the others. The loud, clanking footsteps of the Guardromon grew louder behind her. Kari used the wall to propel herself forward and run for the television. She stretched her arms in front of her in preparation to jump into it.

A surge of electricity jabbed into her side. Kari screamed in pain and was thrown off course by the attack. Before she recovered, a swift hard blow of metal hit her head and knocked her out.

The figure looked down at the fallen Jedi with the candor of someone who just shot an intruder in their home. It then used its electric staff to destroy the television. The girl was now trapped in the Digital World.

"The threat has been neutralized, my lord," it said to the communicator on its wrist in a robotic voice. "Shall I destroy her?"

"_Very good, Andromon," _the Digimon Emperor snickered. _"Leave her lying there. Just the mere fact she's trapped here should be enough to force them to come back for her. When they do, destroy them." _

Andromon nodded. "It will be done, my lord."

Far away in his base, the Digimon Emperor stared at the image of Kari lying unconscious on the ground with a sadistic smirk…laced with something else. She was a very cute girl, he had to admit. Even if she was an insufferable Destined Jedi.

'_You're mine now, my precious. And you are going to be the bait that I need to bring your precious brother and friends to their doom.'_

* * *

"WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME?!" TK roared as he punched Davis across his jaw. It was so powerful that Davis went flying into the wall. The blonde didn't give him a chance to breathe as he held him in place. His blue eyes were burning with fury and staring daggers into Davis.

"Now, TK-" Izzy tried to settle things down, but TK ignored him.

"What is so hard about following orders, Davis? You're so selfish! You could have gotten Kari killed as well! Why can't you just do as you're told?"

"Shut up!" Davis wasn't one to back down and shoved TK away from him. "I don't have to listen to you! I don't care what Tai says! It was your fault that Kari's stranded now! You guys all left when we could have gone together!"

"Davis, stop it!" Cody shouted. "It's no one's fault."

"Shut your mouth, junior! This doesn't concern you."

"You see, Davis?" TK pressed him further into the wall, baring his gritted teeth. "This is why none of us trust you. We don't know what you're going to do from one minute to the next. If we are going to succeed in defeating the Emperor, we all need to be on the same page."

"Should have thought of that before you guys abandoned me and Kari."

Something snapped inside both of them and without hesitation, they started brawling on the floor. Punches and kicks were traded with no holding back. Yolei, Cody, and Izzy tried to break up the fight, but they were quickly shoved out.

* * *

Sora stared at the ticket in her hand in amazement. A chance to see the national soccer team in a game before the World Cup? This was so exciting!

"Wow," she breathed.

"So, you want to go?" Tai asked, his eyes looking at her hopefully. "We'll just check in on everybody else and then leave from here to the stadium."

Within a heartbeat, Sora nodded. "I'd love to," she smiled. "Mom gave me the day off, so I don't have any plans tonight."

Tai would have pumped his fist in adulation, but settled on smiling back at her. The two walked down the hall to the computer lab to check on the younger kids' progress. A familiar blonde figure came from a corridor and joined them.

"Hey, guys," Matt greeted.

"Hey, Matt."

As they got closer to the computer lab, the sound of fighting grew louder. Whatever was going on, it couldn't be good.

The door slid open and Izzy looked out into the hallway. His eyes were wide with bewilderment and urgency. Once they settled on his three fellow Jedi, he relaxed a little.

"Tai, get in here now!" he shouted.

The three Jedi sprinted the rest of the way into the computer lab and burst through the door. Cody and Yolei were trying desperately to stop TK and Davis from fighting, but the burgundy-haired boy was on top, punching TK in the face.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" Tai shouted, jumping in to break the two of them up. He pulled Davis off of TK. The older blonde held his younger brother back when he went for one last punch.

"TK, stop it!" Matt growled into his ear.

"You're dead next time, Davis!" TK growled at him. His face sported a couple bruises on his cheek, jaw, and eye. Blood dripped from his left nostril. His clothes were ruffled and wrinkled, and his goggles were crooked on his hat.

"You-!" Davis went back for one last crack at him, but Tai wrapped his arm around the boy's neck to restrain him. The corner of his lip bled slightly, but he was unharmed besides that.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Tai roared to calm the atmosphere down. His eyes glowered down at the boy in his arms. "Davis, what happened?"

"I didn't do anything, Tai! I swear!" Davis replied defensively.

"That's a dumb lie!" TK shot. "I'll tell you what happened, Tai. We were supposed to retreat, when Mr. Hot Shot here thought it would be fun to charge in with guns blazing towards the enemy. Kari went after him and told us to go. We left, but only Davis returned. Kari is stranded in the Digital World."

Davis smiled nervously up at Tai as the teenager glared down at his young apprentice. The way he acted told Tai everything he needed to know about who was telling the truth.

"What am I going to do with you, kid?" he muttered.

A buzzing came from the computer. Izzy checked it out and saw a message had been sent to them from Kari. The group gathered around him to get a look.

"Kari says 'Don't worry. I'm alright. I'm trapped with no way out of here, though. Come get me.'" Izzy read the message out loud.

"Get me in there, Izzy. I'm going," TK said without hesitation. "Put me somewhere close to her location so that I can take them by surprise."

"I'm going too!" Davis exclaimed.

"And I'll go to make sure you guys don't kill each other," Tai added with a glare to them both. "I don't trust you to go alone after what I saw." He glanced at Sora. "We'll be back in time to leave for the game. I promise."

The auburn-haired Jedi nodded, but still looked at him worriedly. "Okay, but be careful," she said.

"Aren't I always?" he replied with a wink and his famous grin. "On second thought, don't answer that."

In a flash of bright light, the three boys were swept away into the Digital World.

* * *

Davis stomped through the sands of the desert with loud, clumping footsteps. TK sensed the aggravation and anger building inside of the boy and ignored it. Davis was not worth his time, so why bother with it?

Tai sensed the uneasy feeling in the air. What was it going to take for Davis and TK to get along? The longer they continued this, the more the group would suffer. He and Matt knew that better than anyone. He chuckled. In a way, the two of them were just like he and Matt. They argued over stupid little things and had their own way of being Destined Jedi

The three Jedi came up over the dune and got a good view of the land before them. The city was encased in a bubble, cut off from the dry and lifeless desert like a private oasis. The distance was about three or four miles to go until they reached the dome.

'_Don't worry, Kari,' _Tai thought as his eyes stared glued to the city. _'We're coming.' _

"Tell you what, you stay here and I'll go get Kari," said Davis. "Tai will come with me of course."

TK scoffed. "Yeah right! You're staying here, and Tai and I are going to get Kari. You're too reckless to trust in this situation."

"Says who?"

"Says me! Just remember who has the goggles, Davis."

Tai groaned and turned to see the two boys pressing their foreheads against each other, their teeth gnashing like two cheetahs fighting over prey.

"Knock it off!" he shouted, loud enough that the desert winds carried it. "I'm not going to stand for this any longer. We'll all go and rescue Kari. Three of us is more formidable than two. If we are going to do that, you two need to get along. Understand?!"

Davis and TK quickly nodded, taken aback at Tai's change in attitude. Davis had never seen this side of Tai before, so this was a first for him. TK had seen worse from Tai in the past, so he couldn't say he was surprised that Tai had this in him. Especially when it came to Kari.

"Good. Now, let's go."

Tai turned and sprinted towards the city as fast as his legs could carry him. The two younger boys followed after their shock wore off. Sand filled their sandals with each step into the ankle-deep sand as they made their way to the city. The Force gave TK and Davis an added boost to their speed. They held Tai's hands to help him keep up with them.

In about ten minutes, the three Jedi were outside of the city gates. A Guardromon was in front of it as a lookout, but had limited range of vision so it couldn't see far out into the desert. If it had, it would have noticed them.

They hid behind a dune just a few yards from the gates. If they revealed themselves to the Guardromon, it would raise the alarm and ruin the element of surprise for them. TK and Davis didn't sense the Emperor's presence inside of the city, much to their chagrin.

"Alright, what are going to do?" TK whispered to Tai.

The brown-haired teenager was already one step ahead of him. One of them would sneak up behind the Guardromon and disable the Dark Ring around it. If they did that, it wouldn't raise the alarm for the others.

"One of you sneak up and destroy the Dark Ring around it," Tai replied. "We can't risk being caught and ratted out before we can get in."

Davis shot his hand up immediately. "I'll go," he said.

TK glared right back at him. "No, I'll go."

Davis didn't have a chance to argue with him because the blonde had already slipped away from the Jedi of Courage and his apprentice. His anger boiled to the surface as he clenched his fist.

"I swear, I'm gonna –" he started before Tai smashed his fist on the top of his head.

"Give it a rest, will ya?" the teenager growled. "How are we going to rescue Kari if you keep acting like this is a one-man show? It's not. The only way we will succeed is if we work together. What is so hard to understand about that?"

Davis rubbed the top of his head before answering, "How do you put up with that guy, Tai? What is so special about him that you named him leader over me? I just can't stand him."

"Because he's more level-headed than you are," Tai explained without hesitation. "TK has made mistakes before, plenty of them, but he learned from those mistakes and is showing himself worthy of being a good leader to you all. You still have a lot to learn, young one. Know your place."

Davis opened his mouth to continue arguing, but nothing came out. He couldn't argue with a point like that. He closed his mouth and watched quietly at the city gates.

From out of the shadows, TK leaped out and drove his lightsaber through the Dark Ring on the Guardromon's huge metal arm before it could react. The band sparked for a second and then disappeared. The robot Digimon's eyes changed from the controlled red to its original blue eyes.

"All clear!" TK called to his companions, who soon joined him.

"Nice work, TK," Tai ruffled the boy's hat affectionately before drawing his lightsaber. "Now let's go in there and get Kari."

Davis followed suit and activated his lightsaber. "Oh yeah! Let's get them!" he exclaimed. The anticipation of what was to come sent a shot of excitement through him.

"Stick close to me, Davis," Tai advised.

"Aye aye, sir."

TK went to blast the gates with the Force, but Tai grabbed his arm.

"How's about we let Davis do this one, TK? He needs to learn to do this kind of stuff himself."

TK looked back at the burgundy-haired boy, who had a smug smirk on his face. As much as he wanted to wipe it off his face, he knew that Tai was right. The only way Davis would learn and get better was by doing.

He nodded. "Okay."

Davis jumped in front with excitement. He cracked his knuckles and prepared to deliver the biggest Force blast that he could.

"Now sit back and watch this!" he exclaimed as he launched his hand forward. But only a small bit of Force energy came out, barely pushing the gates even an inch open.

TK snickered. "Watch what?"

Davis' anger towards the blonde spiked three more levels. This increase manifested itself into more power and before they knew it, the gates were blown off their hinges. The three Jedi starred with their mouths gaping open and eyes wide.

"Did I do that?" Davis breathed. He looked down at his hand in amazement, but Tai and TK were already inside of the city. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Once they came across a battalion of Guardromon, TK and Tai attacked in a ferocious whirlwind of laser as they dodged blaster fire. They looked more like swirling tornadoes destroying everything in their path than two human boys. Davis jumped in and cleaned up whatever they missed, which wasn't much with how accurate and precise the other two Jedi were with their attacks.

"Intruder! Intruder!" one of the Guardromon yelled robotically until Davis destroyed the Dark Ring on its arm.

The three Jedi finished their swift attack with all of the robotic Digimon finally released from the control of the Dark Rings. Further down the street, the sounds of a lightsaber striking electricity was heard.

"Do you guys hear that?" Tai said.

His two fellow Jedi nodded. Both boys were more in touch with the Force thanks to the assault they had finished. Not only had they heard the battle, but also sensed a familiar presence; two in TK's case.

Tai had the same hunch that they did and took off down the road.

"Kari!" he cried, his lightsaber still drawn as he prepared himself to destroy whatever was attacking his sister. TK and Davis were right behind him, just as anxious to help the Jedi of Light as he was.

* * *

Kari ducked to avoid the electric end of the staff being brought down on her. The buzzing of the electricity whizzed past her ear, but it did not hit her. She brought her lightsaber up defensively to prepare for the next attack.

"Come on, Andromon!" she begged. "Don't you remember me? It's Kari!"

The android Digimon stared blankly at the girl with red eyes. The Dark Ring around his neck programmed him to destroy those that dared to oppose his emperor. He was to destroy this Destined Jedi.

"My master commands that the Destined Jedi must be killed, and that is what I must do," Andromon said in a robotic voice as he spun his electric staff around in a circle in front of him before swinging at Kari. The Jedi of Light deflected the end of it with her lightsaber, but refused to attack the android.

"Andromon, please!" Kari pleaded, trying to break through to him. "I don't want to fight you. Remember what we all did together three years ago? You were a big part of helping us defeat the Dark Masters."

For a moment, that seemed to get through to Andromon. He stopped his attack and looked to be in deep thought. What the Destined Jedi had said sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where. This must be a trick by this Jedi to deceive him and make him betray his master.

"I do not remember these Dark Masters," he answered, raising his staff above his head. "You are the enemy my master commands me to destroy."

Kari sniffled as a tear ran down her cheek. "Andromon-"

"Kari!" Two familiar voices echoed across the concrete jungle as Davis and TK jumped from the edge of a building to land in front of her. The burgundy-haired Jedi took Andromon by surprise and attacked him first. The android was caught off guard as Davis jump kicked him in the chest, skidding back a few feet.

Tai caught up to them, relieved to see his sister was alright.

"Kari!" he cried, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Thank God you're okay. What happened?"

"That's not important now, Tai!" Kari pried her brother off and pointed to Andromon, who was deflecting and blocking each of Davis' attacks. "Andromon's under the control of a Dark Ring. We have to free him from its control."

Tai and TK looked at where she pointed and were shocked to see their old friend. If it wasn't for the red eyes and his electric staff sparking menacingly, they would have been happy to see him.

Andromon grabbed Davis' leg as he went for another jump kick and twisted him around. Davis fought it off by using his other leg to try and kick Andromon in the face, but the android anticipated that move too and raised his arm so the boy kicked only the hard metal.

Davis cried out as pain shot through his shin. It didn't crack, but it may as well have because of how painful it was. That was not a good idea. He was so overcome with pain that he couldn't defend himself when Andromon punched him in the jaw. Davis fell to the ground.

"Stop it, Andromon!" TK shouted as he jumped in to stop the android's staff. "We're your friends. Don't you remember us?"

Andromon looked at the boy with the same blank stare he gave Kari. Once he caught sight of the goggles on TK's hat, he recognized them as belonging to someone he knew. He couldn't remember who, though. It was like someone pulled the plug on any past memories he had. The boy's face was familiar, but he was much older now.

The android broke their stalemate and swung his staff around with lightning-quick speed. The Force gave TK the extra boost he needed to swiftly dodge each strike that came to him, but it quickly tired him out.

The two were so focused on each other that they didn't realize where they were going. TK was being backed up against the concrete wall of a building. When Andromon went for a stab to the face with the electric end of his staff, TK ducked and it was lodged into the wall. The boy swung his saber up and cut the staff in half.

"Come on, Andromon! I know you remember!" he tried to break through to him once again. Andromon picked up a severed half of his staff and swung it at the boy. TK landed against the wall, jilting his lightsaber from his hand.

"This time, I will destroy you," Andromon said as he pointed the electric end of his staff straight at TK. "My master commands me to destroy the Destined Jedi, and I always do what my master says."

TK looked at him sadly. "I didn't want to do this, Andromon, but I have no choice." The Jedi of Hope raised and stretched out his hand. Andromon went flying a few feet before landing on his back.

Tai stepped protectively in front of Kari as Andromon got back up.

"Come on, Andromon! It's me, Tai!" the Jedi of Courage shouted. "I know you remember me. Look deeper!"

Once he rested his eyes on the teenager, something clicked inside of Andromon. The face was slowly becoming clear the longer he looked at the boy. It was Tai! But he didn't have the goggles on his head. Wait, the goggles were now on TK's head. It all made sense now.

"Tai," Andromon muttered. The Dark Ring on his neck shocked him like a shock collar. Andromon screamed in pain from the shock, but swung his arms as he moved forward.

Tai jumped out of the way, but Kari refused to move.

"Kari, move!" he cried.

Kari looked up at Andromon with sad eyes. She felt he was desperately trying to break free from the Dark Ring's hold, but was losing that battle. He just needed some help. She didn't struggle as Andromon wrapped his hand around her throat and lifted her until their eyes were parallel.

"Don't you remember me, Andromon?" she asked, sniffling at how much he was suffering. "We took a picture together in Primary Village." A tear fell down her cheek and landed on his hand.

This was becoming too much for Andromon. The girl's face was vaguely familiar, but it was hard to remember where he had seen it. Kari reached her hand out and touched the android's forehead.

"Try to remember," she said. "Try."

The tattoo on her wrist glowed a bright pink, brighter than it ever had before. The boys had to cover their eyes because of it. Kari felt her mind meld with Andromon's as she saw all of his thoughts and his emotions.

It was all becoming clear for Andromon. It was Kari that was in his grasp. Slowly the pieces were being put together. Tai, Kari, TK, Mimi, Sora, Joe, and Matt. There was also Ogremon, Elecmon, and himself. It was the picture they all took together in Primary Village after defeating the Dark Masters. He remembered.

"Kari," he muttered.

The Jedi of Light's hopes lifted. "Yes, Andromon. That's right. I'm Kari," she encouraged.

All of Andromon's memories came running back to him. The red cloud over his eyes disappeared and he felt like his old self again. He put Kari down gently and released his grip on her throat.

"I remember now," he said. "Kari, forgive me for all the trouble I've caused."

The Jedi of Light smiled at him forgivingly. "It's okay, Andromon. You were under the control of the Digimon Emperor. We're just glad to have you back."

Andromon glanced at Tai and TK, who stood right behind Kari.

"Tai, TK," he greeted. "It has been a long time."

Tai nodded. "Yes it has, Andromon. How are you?"

"Much better now that I am free from the Digimon Emperor's control. You must defeat him before it's too late. He has terrorized the Digital World for far too long."

TK nodded. "We promise, Andromon. You take care of yourself."

"I will."

The reunited friends soon parted ways as TK opened a portal to take the Jedi back to the computer lab. Matt, Sora, Izzy, Yolei and Cody were still in the room waiting for their safe return.

"Welcome back, Destined Jedi," Izzy greeted with a smile. "I trust the mission was a success?"

Tai wrapped his arm around Kari, who giggled with a smile.

"Is this proof enough?" he chuckled.

He glanced up at the clock on the wall. His eyes shot out of his skull.

"Oh, crap! We've gotta get ready to go to the game!" he exclaimed and pulled Davis and Kari along as they ran out of the computer lab. Sora ran right after them. "No time to say hello, goodbye! We're late, we're late! We're late!"

The other Jedi stared wide-eyed at the door.

"What just happened?" Izzy asked.

It suddenly clicked in Matt's memory what they were likely late for.

"The Japanese national soccer team is playing a game against China tonight," he said. "Speaking of which, I should probably get going too."

"Where are you going?" asked TK.

Matt flashed his brother a smirk. "I have a ticket to the game as well. Dad surprised me with it today," he said before leaving the room. "See you guys later."

* * *

The atmosphere was electric as fans poured into Japan's National Stadium in Shinjuku.

Japan against China in a tune up before the World Cup started next month. Both teams had qualified for the tournament, but were in separate groups, so this was their chance to get bragging rights on each other before the Asian Games later that year. It was already being billed as the "game of the year", like no other game in the World Cup would matter more than this one.

Fans wore jerseys, shirts, and even traditional outfits in support of their national teams. Some people had their faces painted in the color of their national flags. The crowd was an even mix of red and blue with the Chinese supporters wearing the traditional red and carrying their national flags. The Japanese supporters wore blue. Some carried the "Rising Sun" flag, and others had the traditional flag. Due to the historical baggage and political disagreements between their two countries, it was an important game for national pride for Japan and China. Neither wanted to lose to the other.

Tai, Sora, Kari, and Davis all walked past the turnstiles and into the stadium after getting their tickets scanned. While the girls wore Japan t-shirts and shorts, Tai and Davis looked like Japan threw up all over them. They wore blue Hidetoshi Nakata jerseys, had Japanese flags painted on their cheeks, and Davis wore a kamikaze headband on his forehead. A sign Tai had made said, "Nakata will end communism" with a picture of Hidetoshi Nakata on it.

"You guys are so embarrassing!" Sora groaned at how decked out they were.

Tai shrugged it off with a chuckle. "This is China we're playing, Sora. It's more than a friendly soccer game to a lot of people."

"But that doesn't mean you have to go this far."

The crowds were tightly packed inside the small concourse, so it was hard to move in a separate direction. The group stuck together as they made their way to their seats. The game was sold-out for tonight.

"Guys!" A familiar voice cried out over the loud crowd.

The group turned behind them and saw Matt moving through the large wave of people to reach them. Because of his blonde hair, he was easy to spot. Tai and Sora smiled at their friend as he joined them.

"Hey, Matt," Tai greeted. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde shrugged. "I had a ticket to the game tonight too. Where are you guys seated?"

"Midfield on the right side of the stadium. We're about ten rows up from the field."

"Me too!"

Sora smiled at Matt, which made him blush.

"Nice to see you here," she said. "I never took you as a soccer fan before, Matt."

Matt rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, with the World Cup coming up, everyone is a soccer fan at this point." He pointed at a banner of Hidetoshi Nakata. "Who's that guy?"

Tai and Sora burst out laughing. The Jedi of Courage wrapped his arm around the Jedi of Love's shoulders on instinct. He didn't realize he had done it until he felt the warmth of her back under his arm.

Both teenagers exploded with redness before Tai finally let go. Matt gazed at them with a grumpy stare.

"What's wrong with you?" Tai asked.

Matt resumed his neutral expression. "Nothing. I had gas just now."

Davis watched Tai put his arm back around Sora as the two exploded into laughter again. He looked over at Kari to his right and lifted his arm to put it around her. The girl knew what he was thinking and immediately shrugged him off.

"Don't even think about it," she said with a snide smirk.

Davis pursed his lips as he pouted. He could never win.

"How about Kari and I go get some snacks and you guys go grab our seats?" he suggested. "We'll be right there."

"Okay," Tai shrugged. "Stay together and don't get lost."

"We won't."

The three teenagers broke away and moved on down the concourse. Davis and Kari navigated through the crowd to the nearest concession stand.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you," a smooth, quiet voice said to them. "Their snacks are not that good."

The two Jedi looked at the voice's owner and were surprised at what they saw. A black-haired boy around their age stood with a pleasant smile on his face. His indigo blue eyes twinkled with what could be interpreted as a nonchalant, easy-going look. Like Davis, he too wore a blue Japan soccer jersey. This boy was familiar to them, even if they only saw his face once.

"Hey, you're Ken Ichijouji, right?" Davis asked, recognizing the boy genius.

The boy chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Guilty as charged."

Davis stretched out his hand for Ken to shake. "I'm Davis. It's very nice to meet you, Ken. I've heard so much about you."

"All good I hope," Ken smiled as he shook Davis' hand. "The pleasure is all mine, Davis."

His eyes then glanced at Kari. For a moment, the Jedi of Light thought she saw an evil, almost lustful, glint in his eyes, but thought she could have been seeing things. "I know who you are. You're Kari Kamiya, right?"

She nodded. "That's right. How do you know me, Ken?"

"That's easy," Ken shrugged. "I read all the stories from three years ago about you and your friends. I even attended the parade the entire city threw for you all with my family. You're famous."

"Not as famous as you."

"I don't like to think of myself as famous," Ken answered humbly. "I'm just a smart kid who's ahead of the curve a bit more than others his age. I'm no different than anyone else."

"If you don't mind me saying so, Ken, you honestly remind me of Ūryu Ishida from _Bleach_," said Davis. All three children laughed together.

"I do, don't I?" Ken gasped, doubling over from laughter. "I get that all the time. I love _Bleach_. It'll definitely get an anime adaptation some day."

"You bet it will."

Ken looked down at his watch and saw that it was getting close to when the teams would come out onto the field. He did not want to miss that.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go. Before I leave, I want to say this: When you strike at a king, you must kill him," he said with a slight smirk that was not lost on the Jedi. The atmosphere had shifted from a light one to all of a sudden feeling like there was something nefarious about those words. The two did not have time to reflect on it because Ken's kind smile returned. "A little poetry for you. That was by the American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. Just wanted to share it. See you around."

He turned and walked away with a wave. Davis and Kari were not sure what to think as they saw the boy disappear into the crowd.

"What a weird guy," said Davis. "What does that mean? When you strike at a king, you must kill him?" He chuckled. "That kinda makes sense if you think about it.."

Kari had an unsettling feeling that there was something beneath the surface to Ken that they hadn't seen yet. It felt like his whole demeanor was a façade to something deeper. That laugh of his sounded strangely familiar.

"Kari?" Davis shook her out of her trance. "You space out or something?"

"No, I'm okay," she replied. "I don't think that's what the line means, Davis. Come on. Let's go get snacks and head to our seats."

Davis also got the feeling that this would not be the last they would see of Ken Ichijouji. In fact, that same feeling told him their destinies were tied to each other. Only time would tell. For now, a great soccer match awaited him.

* * *

**Does Ken know something about them? How will the Destined Jedi respond to this threat? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Things just keep getting more and more mysterious, making it that much more exciting. Hope you guys all feel the same way. To draw Ken to a soccer game like that, I wanted it to be against a major opponent, and since China and Japan hate each other with a passion, they were the perfect fit. Looks like we're starting to experience a bit of a potential love triangle with Tai, Sora, and Matt :P We will see where that goes. **

**Next time, the Destined Jedi learn the identity of the Digimon Emperor. You will not want to miss that. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you haven't already. Things are only going to get darker and crazier. I'll see you guys next week. **


	9. Tyranny Unmasked

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: I know. Thanks. **

**Music Chick: Oh it is going to be fun XD **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Yes they do, and you will find out shortly ;-)**

**Ratchet McCloud: Thank you for the review Ratchet. Hope to see you review more. We will see ;-)**

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: It's going to be interesting watching those two knuckleheads going forward. I understand rivalries between countries, and Japan and China is about as heated as it gets. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: So do I, and that is why I am writing him the way I am. Also, thank you for the favorite and follow. **

**LightSpecter141: Glad you think so! :) Why would I do that? That's part of her character.**

* * *

**Hey guys! Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend. I had a week you would not believe, but I am thankful to present the next stage of the story to you. Last time, the group had to rescue Kari from being stranded in the Digital World. At the soccer match between Japan and China, Kari and Davis ran into famous boy genius Ken Ichijouji, where he gave them a line of poetry that had them scratching their heads. What happens next? You'll find out now :)**

* * *

"Over here!" Davis cried as he tore down the soccer field towards the goal. After the soccer game two nights ago, which ended with Japan winning 2-0, he was so ready to get back out on the soccer field and do some of his own magic.

"Coming your way, Davis!" The ball shot off the foot from one of his teammates and sailed through the air in his direction. He turned his head and squared his body to the ball as it landed on his chest. With control, he lined up his shot and kicked the ball into the net. Davis pumped his fist in celebration.

"Booyah!" he exclaimed, running around the field until he reached the sidelines. His teammates mobbed and hugged him, commenting on how great a move that was.

"Alright, alright," the coach stepped in to break it up. "Good move, Davis. If you can do that in our scrimmage coming up this weekend, we should be set to go."

The boy flashed a thumb's up. "You got it, coach."

"With that settled, our scrimmage this Sunday is with Tamachi FC."

The whole team gasped and many eyes went wide, unable to believe it. Tamachi FC? They all knew what that meant.

"That's the best team in the whole city!" Someone exclaimed.

"Isn't that the team that has the genius kid as their star player?" asked another.

"Yeah," Davis confirmed. "Ken Ichijouji."

The coach sensed the riot he was about to have on his hands, so he quickly moved to calm his players down.

"Now, come on," he said. "The way we prepare for them will be no different than any other opponent. It's just a scrimmage; have fun with it."

His players looked back at him with uneasy looks, but nodded. Something in the Force told Davis that this game was not going to be like any other he had played before. Something about Ken just struck him as…off. Now that he thought about it, he had sensed a dark energy around the boy when he and Kari ran into him at the soccer match the other night.

"Okay. Let's call it a day."

* * *

_Ding Dong_

Mrs. Motomiya opened the door and was surprised to see a large group of children standing at the threshold. She recognized Tai and Kari, but the rest of the children were a mystery to her.

"Hi, Mrs. Motomiya," Tai greeted. "Is Davis okay? He wasn't at school today."

The woman raised an eyebrow in confusion. "He wasn't at school?"

Kari shook her head. "No. We didn't see Davis at all. Did something happen?"

"I don't think so, but perhaps you should check his bedroom. I hadn't seen him come out today, so I assumed he was just sick." Mrs. Motomiya stepped aside to let the group come inside.

"Thank you," they bowed before stepping inside.

Tai, Sora, Joe, and the younger Jedi popped the door to Davis' bedroom open and peeked inside the bedroom. Everything seemed normal, but once they looked at the computer, they saw Davis lying on the desktop face down with the computer turned on.

"Davis!" Tai cried as he rushed to the computer. He placed the boy on the floor with his front side facing up. Davis released a low groan as he opened his eyes, which were blurry and flickering from being up all night.

"T-Tai?" he said hoarsely, like a frog had been lodged in his throat. Dark bags were under his eyes and his throat was clogged up with mucus. "W-What…what time is it?"

"It's four o'clock in the afternoon. Were you up all night?"

Davis looked around and saw that he was still in his room. Everything was still trying to put itself back into focus, so his memory was a little foggy. Last night was such a blur after he got home from soccer practice.

"I guess so," he finally said. The joints in his elbows creaked as he ran a hand over his eye and through his hair to wipe the sleep out of his eyes.

"You shouldn't be staying up all night like this, Davis," said Joe. "It's bad for your health."

"Gee, try taking your own advice, Joe," Tai bit, which elicited a laugh from the younger Jedi, before turning back to Davis. "What were you doing all night?"

Davis pointed to the computer and the group looked up. The screen was filled with articles and videos on Ken Ichijouji playing soccer and about how great he was. The article he had been looking at before falling asleep said that he had scored a record-setting 45 goals during the city tournament last year.

"Man!" Tai exclaimed with wide eyes. "Is this kid an upcoming Wayne Gretzky of soccer or something?"

"Wow!" Sora breathed.

Davis scoffed. "Yeah right. He only scored that many because I didn't even play him. If I had, I would have kicked his butt all over the soccer field."

"Yeah, but you guys didn't even make it there," TK sneered, which snapped Davis out of his sleepy haze instantly.

"Shut up, TM!" he shot. "Sunday is my chance to do that. I'll show him who the real star of the soccer field is. He didn't seem all that great when I met him the other night at the match."

Yolei snapped her neck around in a second and grabbed Davis by his collar.

"YOU SAW KEN THE OTHER NIGHT AND DIDN'T GET ME AN AUTOGRAPH?!" she screamed while shaking him. "Some friend you are, Davis!"

"You didn't ask!" Davis replied defensively. "Besides, he's not much of a prize anyway. What's he got that I don't?"

Yolei threw him to the ground, her feet straddling his legs as she loomed over him with that death glare of hers.

"Well, let's see," she raised a finger each time she pointed something out. Her blood got hot with each adjective she used to describe Ken. "Ken is super smart, supremely talented, super gorgeous, and he's not you. So when you see him out on the soccer field, make sure you get that autograph for me! Capeesh?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Davis said, wanting her to just get off. "Can you please let me get up?"

Yolei nodded and moved her other foot away from his legs.

Cody snickered and made kissing noises into his hand. "Sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G," he said in a sing-song voice.

The lavender-haired Jedi glared at her young friend. "Watch it, Cody. Besides, I don't want to kiss him. Duh! I just want to marry him!"

Davis could not help himself, and said, "What's the difference?"

"I don't want just one part of him. I want it all the way!" Yolei proclaimed with her fist shoved out to the ceiling.

Tai, Davis, and TK exploded into giggles. Sora and Kari glared at them admonishingly. Cody just stared at the three in confusion.

"What are they laughing about, Joe?" he asked the older Jedi.

Joe looked back at him with a red face. He adjusted his glasses.

"You'll find out when you're older, Cody," he chuckled nervously.

Yolei glared at the three male Jedi. "What are you three idiots laughing about?" she demanded.

Davis gasped between laughs to finally speak. "You might want to think what you said over again. I don't think that means what you think it means, Yolei."

The lavender-haired Jedi thought over what she said for a second. What was Davis talking about? She thought hard and lingered on the last words for several seconds.

Her face exploded with redness. It finally hit her.

"I-I didn't mean it like that," she said, throwing her hands out defensively. "Honest!"

Sora sweatdropped and chuckled nervously. As she had gotten to know Yolei over the last couple of days, she knew she was dealing with the opposite of herself. Where she was calm and level-headed, Yolei was fiery and uncontrollable. It was something they were still working on.

"Why don't we all just go to the game together?" she suggested. "It'd be more fun, and we can all be there to support you, Davis."

Davis smiled and nodded. "That'd be great. I'd really appreciate it, guys. I'm gonna kick that pretty boy's butt all over the soccer field."

Tai chuckled and slapped a hand to the boy's shoulder. "Park your enthusiasm until Sunday," he said. "For now, you've still got to practice your saber techniques."

"Aw, come on, Tai!" Davis pouted.

* * *

The sun beat down on a beautiful late May day in Odaiba as the big showdown drew nearer. At the soccer field, Davis stretched out his legs with the rest of his teammates. Tamachi FC had still not shown up yet, but they would any minute.

"_I'm Slim Shady. Yes, I'm the real Shady. All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating," _he rapped along silently with Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" playing in his headphones. "_Won't the real Slim Shady please stand up? Please stand up. Please stand up." _

Even though he was excited, Davis was also wicked nervous. The game was only an exhibition, but it felt as big as the World Cup final to him because of who his team was playing against. He leaned from one side of his squatted position to the other to stretch his left hamstring, doubts starting to linger in his mind. If Ken Ichijouji was such a dominant monster on the soccer field, what could he do to stop him?

Davis looked up in the stands and saw everyone already seated. They waved to him, and he waved back. Knowing that he had their support gave him an extra boost of determination. He was going to give this game everything he had, and lead his team to victory in the end. Nothing was going to stop him.

Up in the stands, the rest of the Jedi watched as the Odaiba elementary school team loosened up and did their pre-game drills. Tai, Sora, Yolei, Cody, TK, Kari, and Joe all sat on one row, forming a sort of cheering section for Davis. They had a feeling that this was more than a soccer game to him. All through the rest of the week, he had been focused on this game only; no focusing on saber techniques, meditating, or Digital World business. Nothing else mattered but this game.

"I sure hope he knows what he's getting into," Tai said to Sora. "I watched some highlights of Ken and I don't see any weaknesses in his game. He's the perfect soccer player; always knows where he is and where his teammates will be before they even get there. He's a wizard."

Sora jabbed him in his side. "Sounds like you're a little impressed yourself," she giggled with a smirk.

Blush spread on Tai's cheeks as he struggled to come up with a reasonable defense. "I'm not," he sputtered. "I am just giving credit where credit is due. He is certainly the reason Tamachi FC is the powerhouse they are."

A familiar face scooted his way through the crowd to reach their section. The blonde hair was a dead giveaway.

"Hey, Matt," Tai and Sora greeted him. TK waved as well, but Matt did not acknowledge them. He looked like he was going to throw up at any second. His face was super pale, and his eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"What's the matter?" Sora asked.

Matt let out a shaky breath as he tried to relive the horror he went through last night.

"Davis' sister Jun made me go on a date with her," he huffed. "It's tonight."

TK and Tai laughed ferociously, only infuriating Matt further. He got up to punch them, but Sora pressed her hands against his chest to stop him.

"Matt, you lady killer," TK teased. "I didn't know you had it in you. How'd you ask her out?"

"She asked _me _out, you little mutant," Matt shot darkly. "I didn't even want to do it, but she blackmailed me."

"How?" asked Tai.

"It's too horrible to talk about." Matt plopped his butt down on the bleachers and folded his arms across his chest with a huff. Sora's laughter snapped him out of his stormy fog and became flustered.

"It doesn't mean anything! I swear!"

Sora patted him on the shoulder. "It's no biggie," she assured him. "I'll buy you lunch next Saturday to make you feel better."

That made Matt smile for the first time all day.

"Great! The three of us!" Tai exclaimed. "Thanks, Sora."

And that smile instantly vanished.

"So, what's the game today?" Matt asked, giving a death glare to Tai.

A nervous chuckle escaped Tai as he glanced at Sora. Her response was a shrug of confusion. He answered Matt.

"Davis and his team are playing the defending city champions, Tamachi FC, and their star player Ken Ichijouji."

Ear-piercing screams erupted from the top of the stands as a bus arrived at the soccer field. Tamachi FC stepped off the bus one at a time. The players were dressed in green and black jerseys and black shorts. Their socks were green and their shoes matched their shorts. A crowd of girls had gathered in anticipation of getting a glimpse of one player in particular.

Yolei was shaking with anticipation and excitement. She wringed her hands around Cody's neck and started shaking him as she couldn't contain her joy any longer.

"He's here!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

"Yolei-" Cody choked out, begging her to let him go. "You're choking me."

"Stop it," Sora pried the girl's hands off the boy's neck.

Joe looked him over to make sure he was alright.

Sora understood how she felt. When she saw the Backstreet Boys with Mimi and her mother last December, she could hardly contain herself when they came on. "Try to contain yourself, Yolei."

"I can't, Sora! Not when Ken Ichijouji is this close to me!"

As the last player stepped off the bus, there was no sight of Ken. The crowd of girls cried out in disappointment. Yolei was also infuriated by this turn of events and grabbed Cody's neck once again.

"WHAT?! HE'S NOT HERE?!" she screamed. "WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS HE?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Cody cried, struggling to breathe as his female friend strangled him again.

Sora pried her off and held her arms behind her back as Joe sat Cody on the other side of him, away from Yolei.

"What am I even doing here then?" the girl pouted. "If Ken's not going to be here, why should I be?"

"What about cheering for Davis?" Kari asked.

Davis was also surprised at Ken's no-show. There went his great plans to embarrass Ken in front of all his fangirls. It was an insult to him. Wanting an explanation, he walked over to a few of the Tamachi players.

"Hey, where's Ken?" he asked.

The players shrugged.

"Who knows where he is," one said. "We're not his keepers. Ken shows up whenever he means to."

"That's right," said another. "We can't control him or hold him to a set arrival. We've tried to, but each time we do, he leaves and we have no idea what happened. I'd be surprised if he even shows up at all."

The players walked over to the other side of midfield to do their pregame warm-ups. Davis eyed each player in hopes that they were just saying that to lower his guard for the game. Perhaps Ken was hiding somewhere. But as he closed his eyes to sense the Force, he didn't notice Ken among them.

'_Just perfect,' _he moaned. Davis trudged back to his side of the field, where Tai was waiting for him.

"What's up, Tai?" he asked.

Tai stared him dead in the eyes. "I know you're disappointed about Ken not coming, but don't let it distract you from the game," he said. "These guys are still tough. Keep your concentration here and in the moment. May the Force be with you."

Davis nodded. He needed the friendly advice as the whistle rang out for the teams to get out onto the field. Odaiba, with their cardinal red and white uniforms, were on the left side of the field while Tamachi was on the right. Davis took his position at midfield and waited for the whistle that would signal the game to start.

TWEET!

Davis tapped the ball to his teammate on the other side of him and the two teams were off. Back and forth they went, with both teams locked in a fierce gridlock for much of the first half. When one team would make a push, the other would bend, but not break. The ball spent more time around midfield than in either team's end.

Davis felt like he was pulling more of the weight on his team as the half wore on. He would dive for the loose ball or not give up on a play. His teammates seemed like they were more interested in watching Tamachi play than actually playing against them. It frustrated him in addition to Ken snubbing him.

Towards the end of the first half, his frustration boiled over.

"Over here!" he cried as he dashed past the defender and into the goal box. A quick pass from his teammate, and Odaiba was up 1-0.

"WHOOOOO! YEAH!" Davis roared in celebration as he ran to the corner near the sidelines and slid on the grass. He was so psyched from scoring that goal that he took his jersey off and waved it around in the air.

The Destined Jedi sweatdropped at the celebration.

"That's a little over-the-top, don't you think?" Joe chuckled nervously.

Tai shrugged. "Let him have his moment. This was an important match to him."

Yolei didn't say anything. She was too busy pouting about the fact that her crush was nowhere to be found.

The adrenaline carried Davis over as the game resumed with just over a minute left of extra time before the half concluded. He broke away from the defense and tore down the field, ready to score another goal to make it 2-0, but the referee blew the whistle. The half was over.

Davis and his teammates were in high spirits as they sipped cups of water and wrapped cold towels around their necks. They may actually have a chance to win this thing. As long as they kept up their game and Davis scored another goal here and there, they would. It didn't feel real.

"You're doing great out there, Davis," Tai smiled at him as he and the others came down from the bleachers to see him. "That goal you scored was awesome."

"Wasn't it?" Davis beamed. "The way I shot past that defender and then –_ whoosh! _Off to the races!" He punched the air with a lot of power behind it. "Just like Nakata did last week!"

That got a laugh out of everyone.

"Just remember, that was only the first half," Tai told him. "There's still a whole 'nother half to play, and Ken could still make it here."

Davis' ecstatic face melted down instantly. "Aw, Tai! Why did you have to remind me of that?" A smug grin worked its way back on his face. "Maybe he just got scared at having to face me on the field and that's why he didn't show up."

"OH MY GOSH!" a girl screamed, followed by several others.

The group looked up. Yolei let out a squeal and bounced with excitement. Cody made sure to stay as far away from her as he could. Davis' eyes narrowed at who had arrived.

Standing at the top of the stands, surrounded by a handful of squealing fangirls, was Ken Ichijouji himself. He carried a duffle bag around his shoulder and smiled at the girls as he knifed through the crowd, giving them waves and even grabbing at a couple hands. The girls that he touched fainted on the spot.

As if on cue, the loudspeakers around the stadium played KMFDM's "Juke Joint Jezebel" while Ken made his way down the stairs. A glare spread across his face as he caught a glimpse at the Destined Jedi at field level.

"OH MY GOD! IT'S HIM!" Yolei screamed, grabbing TK by his shoulders and shaking him. "IT'S HIM! IT'S HIM!"

Ken shifted his gaze from her, TK, and Kari to the older Destined Jedi. His eyes lingered on Matt for a second longer with an even dirtier glare before finally moving to Davis. The boy glared right back at him.

The glare on Ken's face went away and he resumed his calm, pleasant façade for everyone else. A goofy smile hid his annoyance well as he descended the stairs with the speed of someone who was in no hurry to get to the bottom.

Davis' anger boiled over as Ken continued to move down the stairs slower than he would have liked. First, the kid he had been most anxious to meet on the soccer field showed up late, and now he was wasting his time by taking forever to come down to the field. He finally had enough.

"WHERE YOU BEEN ICHIJOUJI, YOU PIECE OF SHIT?!" he roared, earning more than a few boos from the congregation of fangirls. "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS! YOU BETTER HAVE BROUGHT YOUR 'A' GAME!"

"Davis, stop it!" Tai growled as he held Davis back from charging at the black-haired boy once he reached the field.

Ken snickered, unfazed by the call-out, and walked over to his team's sideline. They were pleasantly surprised to see him, albeit annoyed that he took this long to get there.

"Glad to see you decided to join us, Ken," said the coach.

Ken smiled apologetically. "Sorry I'm late, Coach. I had some '_personal things' _to take care of before I came."

"We're just glad to see you. Can I put you in the game now?"

Ken stole a quick glance at Davis, who was now lined up at midfield with the rest of his team in waiting for the half to begin. His grin rose even wider.

"I would like that very much," he said. This was going to be fun.

Tamachi broke from their huddle and went out onto the field.

"_Now substituting for Tamachi: Number 7, Ken Ichijouji," _the announcer said over the loudspeaker, which sent the entire female gathering into excited squeals.

Ken took his position at midfield, just inches away from Davis. The two stared deeply at each other. Davis looked at him with annoyance and frustration, while Ken looked like he was mocking him with a nonchalant sneer.

"About time you decided to show up," Davis growled lowly. "I was worried I would kick your team all over the field without you here."

Ken didn't answer him. Instead, he glanced up at the stands to see the Destined Jedi watching the tense standoff and yelling words of encouragement.

"You got this, Davis!" TK cried.

"Remember that he's only human like you!" Kari yelled.

"Give that little punk a good spanking!" Matt added.

That made Ken snort with amusement as he finally met Davis' gaze.

"Some nice friends you've got there, Davis," he sneered. "They can sit back and watch the show. This'll be quick. Don't blink."

The whistle blast came, and once it went off, Davis felt something whizz past his ear. Ken took the ball down the field, stiff arming any Odaiba defenders that stood in his way, and the ball launched like a bullet from his foot toward the goal. The keeper wasn't quick enough, and the game was tied just like that.

Davis' eyes were wide as dinner plates as Ken was mobbed by his teammates. The boy didn't show any emotion after scoring the goal, and it happened all so fast.

'_This may just be a long day.'_

The rest of the second half felt like forty-five hours instead of forty-five minutes. Ken and his team were like a destructive typhoon swirling through, destroying everything in its path. Unfortunately, Davis and his team were in their way.

Before they knew what hit them, the score was 9-1. But Davis did not give up, even when his teammates were ready to pack up their gear and go home.

When Ken cut across his territory, Davis made a sliding tackle that clipped the unprotected part of Ken's sock and tripped the black-haired boy to the ground. An audible gasp went through the crowd, mostly among the girls. A small bit of blood seeped through the hole in the sock as the referee drew a yellow card. Davis didn't care; he was going to try and take a moral victory from this ugly humiliation.

At last, the final whistle blew.

Final Score: Tamachi: 9, Odaiba: 1.

Ken's teammates mobbed him in celebration, but he quickly shrugged them off. His shin stung with pain, but he paid it no mind. His eyes glanced at the other side of the field, where the Odaiba team were either kneeling on the ground or walking around with their heads down. There were bigger things that were cut as well.

He walked over to Davis. Underneath the seemingly calm exterior, Davis sensed the anger swirling inside of Ken.

He stuck his hand out. "Good game," he said, waiting for Ken to shake his hand. "Sorry about the cut there. I didn't mean to do that."

But Ken glanced at his hand for only a moment before ignoring it completely.

"I know you didn't," he assured. "It's fine. That's just part of the game. No hard feelings. See you around, Davis."

Ken patted him on the shoulder and left, with his adoring public waiting for him. Somewhere in Davis' mind, he felt an uneasy aura surrounding him. There was more to Ken Ichijouji than met the eye.

He just couldn't put his finger on it.

* * *

"Can I touch your shoulder please, Davis?" Yolei begged for the fourth time. Davis was starting to get really annoyed with the request. She wouldn't stop bugging him about wanting to touch his shoulder because Ken touched it.

"No! Leave me alone!" he shoved her away.

The younger Destined Jedi and Tai stood in the computer lab the next day after school. Kari said she had felt a disturbance in the Force earlier that day, and the Emperor was in the middle of it. They had to go there and stop whatever it was he was planning.

"But if I touch your shoulder, Davis, then I'm really touching Ken. You didn't get me an autograph like you promised!"

Everyone was disturbed by that statement.

"Do you realize how weird that just sounded?" Cody asked.

Yolei huffed. "So what? You guys would not understand."

"None of us understand you, Four Eyes," Davis shot, laughing at his own joke.

Yolei ran up to punch him in the face, but was quickly held back by Sora. The two glared at each other until Tai broke things up.

"Alright, kids. That's enough!" he barked. "Now, let's go to the Digital World and take care of business. Izzy, you'll keep watch here for us, okay?"

"You've got it, Tai." The Jedi of Knowledge nodded and sat down at the computer.

"I know you will," Tai winked at him. "Just make sure nothing sneaks up behind us and makes us its dinner."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The group of children stood in front of the computer screen, anxious to get going. Davis and Yolei stood with two people between them so that way she couldn't beg for permission to touch his shoulder.

The group disappeared into the Digital World.

* * *

When the Destined Jedi emerged on the other side of the gate, they found themselves in a desolate wasteland that was completely barren. The only interesting thing about this place was the hills of rock and dirt.

"Well, this place is certainly a sight to behold," TK sarcastically drawled.

"Making it the perfect place for the Emperor to hatch an insidious plan," Tai said with a focused tone. "Let's get moving. He could be anywhere nearby."

"I sense him. He's here," Davis exclaimed. "Stay on your guard, guys."

Yolei felt the ground underneath her give way and she fell through the sinkhole, letting out a sharp scream. The group turned and saw she was gone. Before they could do anything else, the ground then swallowed a majority of the Jedi. Tai and Davis were all that was left of the group.

"What just happened?" Tai breathed, still trying to swallow the preceding events.

"Everybody's gone!" Davis exclaimed. He dug through the ground, desperate to get to everyone else. It was useless as he barely scooped up more than a few inches of dirt.

Tai looked out across the landscape. Something about this did not seem right. Then it hit him: The Emperor was behind this.

"Looks like it's just us," he said. "The Emperor is not far at all. We're getting very close if it means he set a trap for us."

Davis looked up from the ground, his eyes narrowed. The Emperor was starting to drive him insane with all these games he would play with them. They had to stop him. He looked out to the nearby hills.

"Then let's go get him!" he muttered and ran off with Tai trailing right behind him.

The two moved across the land with the swiftness and silence of shadows. They wouldn't have the element of surprise on their side, but that wouldn't stop them from finding the Emperor and rescuing their friends. The hills were steep and rocky, cutting their feet if they didn't watch where they stepped.

Tai pulled Davis up as they scaled the top of a rock formation and they collapsed onto their backs in exhaustion.

"Why…does…this…have to be so…annoying?" Davis huffed as he caught his breath.

"Because that is how these guys operate," Tai replied. "Trust me. Joe and Mimi tried climbing Infinity Mountain all by themselves one day, and got into some trouble. Luckily, they made it out okay but it could have been worse. Devimon was using Infinity Mountain as his base and could have attacked us at any time."

Davis blinked. "Yeah, that is a little annoying. How does the Emperor compare?"

"He's more annoying than any of the bad Digimon we've faced."

A familiar cackle echoed through the rocky hills. The two Jedi looked up and saw the person they were actively seeking above them.

"Annoying, am I?" the Emperor snickered. "Well, we will see how annoying I am when your friends become Deltamon's next meal."

He gestured to the side, and the two Jedi were horrified at what they saw. Hanging just above the ground were the other Destined Jedi. Each was hung off the arch of a rocky formation with a single rope. From the sands, a large reptilian creature emerged. Its body was blue and hulking, with one hand representing a metal serpent and the other as the skull of a Carnotaurus.

"Tai!" Kari cried as she struggled against the rope. "Help me, Tai!"

"Get out of here!" TK cried. "It's a trap! Leave us! Save yourselves!"

"Get us out of here!" Yolei shrieked.

"I'm getting tired of hanging here," Cody said quietly. "Could you please rescue us now?"

Tai's anger jumped up five levels as he charged up the hill to the Emperor's position. His lightsaber jutted out and the blue blade was ready to slice the tyrant into little pieces.

The Emperor telegraphed Tai's moves as he ducked underneath a swing aimed for his head. He tripped the Jedi of Courage's feet out from under him and slammed his fist down on his chest. Tai let go of his lightsaber, and the Emperor kicked it down the slope of the hill before using his foot to hold the teenager down by his chest.

"Tai!" Davis cried. He didn't waste any time drawing his lightsaber, but the Emperor raised a finger threateningly.

"Ah, ah, ah," he taunted. "Do you really think I would make this so easy for you, Davis? You'll have to make a decision, a very tough decision. First, a question. If you had to choose which of your friends lived, which one would it be?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Davis shot.

"No need to snap," the Emperor replied defensively. "It was just a question. I just wanted to play a friendly game with you."

"Then why do you want to kill us?"

The Emperor cackled loudly, echoing across the canyon. "I don't wanna kill you. What would I do without all of you? Taking over the Digital World would not be as thrilling if I didn't have a worthy adversary like you. You all complete me."

Tai grabbed the Emperor's leg tightly. The tyrant hissed at the pain it sent up his shin.

"You're garbage who tortures innocents for the thrill of it," he growled, which earned him a kick in the face.

"Shut up," the Emperor said before turning back to Davis. "So, Davis, what will it be? Your mentor or your friends? You can only save one or the other, but not everyone. Think hard."

Davis was at a complete loss. He didn't want to abandon his friends, but Tai was also important to him. Without him, he wouldn't know how to become a true Destined Jedi and save the Digital World from the Emperor. Either way, he was going to have to live with the guilt of saving one party at the expense of another for the rest of his life.

"Come on, Davis," the Emperor impatiently tapped the foot on Tai's chest. "I don't have all day, you know. And neither do your friends, so make your choice now!"

Tai noticed something strange on the Emperor's leg. It looked like there was blood leaking through the material of his pants.

"Where'd you get that cut?"

The Emperor glared down at him. "What does that matter to you?" he shot. "If you're trying to distract me, it won't work. Time is running out, Davis!"

Davis glanced from his friends to the smirking face of his adversary. Deltamon's snapping jaws nipped at their heels. The frightened screams of the other Jedi tore away at his heart.

"You know where you are?" The Emperor yelled with sadistic delight. "You're in the jungle, baby! Time to die, Destined Jedi!"

Deltamon licked his lips, eagerly anticipating his meal as he stepped forward to snap Kari up in his jaws.

"Stop!" Davis screamed, halting the large beast. "I'll give myself up! Just let them go!"

"Davis, don't be a fool!" Tai shouted.

"Silence!" the Emperor hissed as he shot Force lightning from his fingertips. Tai screamed in agonizing pain as the electricity coursed through him.

"Stop it!" Davis screamed. His anger started rising dangerously as the Emperor's sadistic smirk got even bigger as Tai thrashed around in pain. That was too much for him to handle.

"Davis!"

The boy snapped out of his stormy haze as four lightsaber blades ignited from somewhere in the hills. His eyes widened when he saw the Destined Jedi emerge behind him. If they were there, then who was being held captive?

The Emperor was also surprised by the Jedi's appearance. He ceased the Force lightning on Tai and kicked the Jedi of Courage down the hill before igniting his own lightsaber. Davis caught Tai at the bottom of the hill.

"Grr! My plan was ruined!" he shrieked. "I had you right where I wanted you, Davis! Get them, Bakemon!"

The group turned to the rocky arch in surprise. The Destined Jedi hanging by rope slowly turned into white ghosts with long, sharp, decaying teeth and big black eyes. They immediately darted straight for the Jedi.

TK rolled his eyes with a groan and charged forward. Kari and Cody followed him. Davis and Yolei eyed the ghosts with horror. They recognized the ghosts as the ones that separated them from their parents during the Odaiba fog incident three years ago.

Tai got up and saw the fear on their faces. He shook them awake from their haze.

"Hey, come on!" he encouraged. "We need you guys. Let's go!"

Tai activated his lightsaber and jumped in to help the other three Jedi fight off the Bakemon. TK had already slice through two of them, and Kari was working on a pack of two others. Cody defensively deflected any attacks that came his way.

Yolei joined Tai, but Davis eyed the Emperor with hatred. The time had come for him to stop this guy for good. Staying out of sight, he climbed up the dirt hill with the silence of a shadow.

Up on the hill, the Emperor watched the battle below with a wide grin. Despite the Jedi managing themselves well, he knew the overwhelming numbers of Bakemon he had at his disposal would eventually wear them down. Victory was near.

"Face it! It's over, Jedi!" he taunted with a cackle.

Davis leaped out from behind him. "Yippee ki yay!" he cried as he tackled the Emperor. The two rolled down the hill, never letting go of each other.

"You'll pay for what you have done to my friends!" Davis snarled as he pulled the Emperor in tight to his face, receiving a punch in response.

"You're nothing but a worthless little insect," shot the Emperor. "A child that cannot compare to me!"

"Look who's talking! You're a kid just like the rest of us!"

"I am nothing like you!"

The two landed at the bottom of the hill with the Emperor kicking Davis off of him. The burgundy-haired boy landed on his feet just a few yards away, catching his breath. That peace did not last long as the Emperor leaped the few yards towards him with his lightsaber drawn and ready. Davis drew his at the last moment to block the attack.

"You're more foolish than I thought, Davis," the Emperor said as the two traded strikes. Since he started saber training, Davis had improved a lot with his defense, but was still not at the level of the Emperor.

He scoffed. "Sometimes you have to be a little foolish to accomplish things."

"And you showed that phenomenal spirit yesterday."

Davis was caught by surprise. What did the Emperor mean by that? They didn't go to the Digital World the day before, so it couldn't have been something that happened there. Then he saw the streak of blood on the Emperor's pant leg.

He dodged a strike that was aimed right for his head and snuck behind the Emperor to pull him down. Davis pinned him down and punched him dead in the face. The dark sunglasses fell off of the Emperor's face, revealing his eyes to him. Davis went for another punch, but stopped. He couldn't believe what he saw as his fist unclenched.

"Ken?" he gasped, his eyes wide with shock.

The boy below him snickered.

"That's right," he hissed. "It is I, Ken Ichijouji! You humiliated me so much yesterday on the soccer field, Davis Motomiya that I had to humiliate you in return. You should have seen your face when you begged for me to take you instead. It was pathetic!"

Davis didn't say anything. He was too shocked that the kid he had faced on the soccer field yesterday was the same one below him right now.

"H-How?"

Ken snorted. "How? The answer to that is too much for your feeble mind to handle. For now, enjoy this little victory while you can. I will be back, and I'm done fooling around with you worthless Jedi. This is just the beginning."

The exposed Digimon Emperor used the Force to shove Davis off of him and into a nearby group of large rocks. He jumped into the air and a large dragon Digimon called Airdramon caught him on its back to take him away with one loud cackle.

Davis watched helplessly as the Emperor got away. He couldn't believe that the Digimon Emperor was someone that he knew of. If only it had been someone from somewhere else in Japan like Hokkaido; somewhere that he didn't know anyone in.

"Davis!"

The boy pulled himself up as the other Destined Jedi found him after sending the Bakemon into a retreat. He was still in shock over what he just learned.

"Are you okay?" TK asked, looking him over. Davis was cut in some places and bruised in others, but wasn't seriously wounded.

"Could be better," Davis replied in a far-off voice as he stared out onto the horizon. "I found out who the Digimon Emperor is."

The group's excitement rose. Finally, their mission to discover the Emperor's identity was complete.

"Who is it?" Cody asked.

Davis took a deep breath as he continued staring out at the horizon. As much as he didn't want to say it, he knew he had to.

"Ken Ichijouji."

* * *

**Dun dun dunnnnnnnn! That's right. Ken is indeed the Digimon Emperor, but of course we already figured that out. What does he mean by "through with playing games?" Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Made the soccer game a little interesting just by adding in some other things. Davis would totally celebrate a goal like that if he was fired up enough. The saga between Tai, Matt, and Sora just gets more and more interesting. If only they had done this kind of thing in the series, but I guess they left that to me to do. Wonder how Yolei feels right now knowing she's in love with their enemy. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next stage of the Destined Jedi's struggle against the Digimon Emperor. It is going to be messy. As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you haven't already. **

**See you guys next week, and I am going to see the Backstreet Boys in concert tonight! Au revoir. **


	10. The Emperor's Loneliness

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: You're gonna be shocked at what he has in store for the Jedi going forward. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Much worse. You'll see. **

**Music Chick: He just can't catch a break, can he? XD Yeah, Ken definitely stole the show this chapter. **

**LightSpecter141: That is not a bad idea. We will see what their greater powers end up being. **

**Lord Jaric: (Chapter 3) Thank you for the review and follow, Jaric. Nice to have you back in the fold. Yeah, they honestly should have just until Davis was ready to take the mantel of leadership. **

**honter11: Thanks for the review. We'll see where it goes, I guess. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: I was honestly going for a Joker-like feel but that is good too.**

* * *

**Welcome back everybody to yet another chapter. We are now into double digits and cruising along. This is where things start to take a bit of a turn, so I hope you guys are ready for some dark AS stuff. So, now the group knows that Ken Ichijouji is the Digimon Emperor. What will they do with that information? **

**Get ready, because here we go!**

* * *

The Force swirled through the universe, supplementing all life and balancing the universe in its wake. Like the tail end of a comet flying through space, it followed its path on the straight and narrow. All was calm and peaceful as it flowed through the Digital World.

Suddenly the Force became disrupted; its straight and narrow path steered up and down like sound waves as they were being recorded. The blue energy turned purple, then red.

Ken Ichijouji, known only to the creatures of the Digital World as the Digimon Emperor, snapped his eyes open in an angered haze. He sat up straight while he meditated with candlelight being his only source of light in the dark underbelly of his base. But his concentration had been disturbed, and he never focused well when something bothered him.

Wordlessly, he took off his sunglasses and with one swipe of his hand extinguished the flickering flames on the candles. The room was shrouded in darkness for a brief second until a monitor flicked on with a bright flash of light.

"Join us as we find out more about boy genius, Ken Ichijouji," the reporter said with wide eyes and just as wide of a smile. "I'm Rukia Inuhara, and today we are joined by one of the smartest boys in all the world, let alone Japan, Ken Ichijouji. Thank you for joining us, Ken."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, Rukia," the Ken on the screen bowed his head with a sincere smile. "Thank you for having me."

"Let me first start off by asking how does a boy genius like you stay motivated?"

Ken shrugged. "I keep myself balanced by doing other things, like soccer. It's a good way to take my mind off of things," he replied modestly.

"So you're an athlete too. That's amazing! Some say that prodigies are 1% talent and 99% effort. Does that sound true to you?"

"Yes, I guess I would say so."

"Do you have any other interests besides soccer and studying?"

A small smile, but what was really a masked devious smirk, slid up the side of the boy's face.

"I enjoy poetry and reading Lewis Carroll," he said. "I tell you, Rukia, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was a stroke of genius. The way he was able to have nonsense make sense and still keep it entertaining is a testament to how great a writer he was."

"What character in the book do you identify with the most and why?"

Ken did not hesitate with his response. "The Cheshire Cat," he said. "He's the most mysterious, mischievous, and omnipotent character in the story. I always loved whenever he would come into the story. I like to think of myself as a bit of a joker, if you will."

"Do you have an interest in writing a book someday?"

"Possibly. We'll see how the rest of my life plays out before I decide whether to write a book about myself or not."

"That's pretty interesting, Ken. Now, I'm not sure if you heard about this or not but in America, there is a skipping system where students like you can go straight onto college. If we had a system like that in Japan, would you like to skip ahead?" asked the reporter.

"Sure I would. I always like a challenge," Ken ran his tongue along the backs of his teeth. The crew did not see it as the shot went right back to the reporter.

"Well, you heard it straight from the horse's mouth, folks. Ken Ichijouji may be a genius, but he is just like any other child in the world. This is Rukia Inuhara, NHK," she closed out before the screen went to a movie trailer.

Ken shut off the monitor, his face neutral. Under this stony demeanor, he was fuming with anger and rage. That last line she said felt like an insult to him. He was nothing like a normal child.

"I will show them all," he hissed as he remembered the following events.

* * *

_Earlier that day_

"Thank you for letting us speak to you, Ken," the reporter smiled as she touched his shoulder and walked away with her crew. "Good luck with your studies."

"Any time, Rukia," Ken smiled at her. Once they were far enough away, his pleasant smile dropped off and he stared daggers into the back of her head.

"That was something, Ken!" the principal of Tamachi Elementary School said as he walked up to the boy. His brown hair was more of a dulled grey brown, which went along with his wrinkled face. "You sure have tremendous poise when dealing with all these reporters."

Ken glared at him as he brushed his shoulder where the reporter had touched him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, taking one in his hand and stuck it between his teeth.

"You got a light?" he asked the principal, who eyed the white stick with surprise.

"Y-Yes, but I don't think you should be –" he started to say before Ken waved his hand.

"You will give me the lighter," he ordered.

The principal nodded wordlessly and took the silver lighter from his pocket before tossing it to Ken.

"Thank you," he muttered before lighting the cigarette. He exhaled a long cloud of smoke from his mouth as relief washed over him from the drag he took. "It's all about keeping up appearances. As long as they believe I'm perfect, that is all that matters."

"Well, it is certainly working. You are making all of us at the school look like geniuses ourselves."

Ken shrugged as he took another drag. "I just do the best I can. It's nothing special."

"Do you mind if I ask you for a favor, Ken?" The principal asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

The principal leaned in to whisper in Ken's ear. "Do you mind tutoring my daughter? She's struggling with calculus. I'd pay you, of course, if you were interested."

Ken's eyes narrowed. He should have figured this was what he really wanted. But to keep up appearances, he decided to play along and eased his eyes back to the calm, pleasant demeanor they were a second ago.

"I appreciate the offer, but how old is your daughter by chance, sir?" he asked.

"Yuriko is seventeen," the man replied. "Why do you ask?"

"If she's that old, then I'm afraid I will have to decline the offer. Given the age gap between us, it could give the wrong impression. I don't want to give the media something to gossip about. Plus, I'm not sure I have enough experience to be a tutor."

The principal chuckled nervously as he lightly slapped himself upside the head. "Oh yes, of course. How silly of me." He looked up at the clock in the middle of the square. "Oh my gosh! Is it that time already? I have to go, Ken, but can I ask you for one more thing?"

Ken fought the urge to roll his eyes. This man was just full of requests today. It was getting extremely annoying.

"What is it?" he asked politely, trying to keep his voice even to not show his annoyance.

The man stretched out the book he had under his arm, along with a Sharpie. "Could you give me an autograph for her then, please?"

Ken smiled wryly, but nonetheless accepted the book and pen and signed his name on it, along with a motivational message for the girl. Once that was done, he handed it back to the principal.

"There we go," he bowed as he presented it.

"Thank you so much, Ken. She is really going to love this!" the principal exclaimed as he walked away from the square.

Ken finally let his annoyance through with a glare at the back of the man's skull.

"Fool," he muttered as he walked away.

It wasn't long before he returned to his apartment. Before he stepped inside, he removed any trace of him smoking. Not that it would have mattered; he would just simply _influence _his parents to forget about it, but he didn't want to take that chance. Slipping out of his shoes and into slippers, he didn't get a minute to himself before his parents instantly mobbed him at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Ken, you're home," his mother greeted with a smile. "Dinner is ready. Come and sit down with us."

Ken opened his mouth to refuse, but his stomach growled. Begrudgingly, he sat down. The dinner before him was comprised of rice, a bowl of miso soup, meatloaf, chopped carrots, and a side of pickled vegetables. After muttering thanks, he dove right for his food.

"Saw you on television today," his father said. "That 1% effort and 99% talent thing was a stroke of genius. You had them totally eating out of the palm of your hand."

Ken eyed him with a dark glint as he took a bite of rice. "What I've learned is you just give them what they want, and then they will go away," he said darkly. "Nothing genius about it."

There was a short pause before Ken folded his chopsticks in front of him and got up from the table. "Excuse me," he muttered.

His parents were powerless to do anything as they watched him walk out of the kitchen. They glanced at each other curiously, wondering what could be upsetting their son.

* * *

Ken lit the end of the cigarette as he paced back and forth around the flat rooftop. The late evening wind swirled around loudly, carrying all the sounds from down below to the top. It was driving him crazy.

First, that moron Davis Motomiya humiliated him in front of his adoring public, despite the shellacking his team dished out to the boy's. A small cut on his leg could heal, but the damage to his ego was something that could never be undone. Then Davis and his idiot friends found out he was the Digimon Emperor. No doubt, they would try and stop him in the real world now that they knew who he was. It would not be long before they tried.

He took a drag from the cigarette, but his mood did not improve as he looked down at the street below. Ken felt trapped. The unbearable expectations of a public that commanded nothing but perfection from him, the pressure from his parents, and the inevitable confrontation with the Destined Jedi that was to happen soon became too much for him. He was starting to lose control.

His knuckles turned white as he held the railing separating him from the street below in a death grip. His face twisted angrily. The people below were as small as ants. Ants that spread nothing but filth and disease wherever they went. This world was no place for the Digimon Emperor to continue wasting his time in.

Ken couldn't stop himself as the words slipped out of his mouth in rapid succession.

"There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled with shit, and the vermin of the world inhabit it."

Everything felt like it was slowly slipping out of his grasp. Ken's breath escaped with rapid gasps as everything going on down below overwhelmed him. He continued repeating his words at a rapid pace, which sped up each time he repeated it. He lost the will to stand up as his mind raced at a million miles per hour. His hands rushed to his ears to cover them. It was pounding in his ears. An image of a body on the ground, followed by the sight of blood and lifeless eyes, flashed in his mind.

A blood-curling scream shot out of his mouth. All of Ken's frustration, anger, and helplessness were let out in one loud scream that the wind carried around all of Tokyo. He was screaming to a nameless god to end his suffering, but no god would answer his prayers.

After ten seconds of screaming, Ken fell silent. An evil smirk slowly rose up his face, like the Grinch.

"But not for long," he muttered, rising up from his seated position on the ground.

The last thing that went through his mind as he marched back downstairs was '_They all must die.' _Even if he died with them, none of it mattered. At least he would be freed from living an unbearable existence. It was settled.

* * *

_Present_

Ken opened his eyes with no emotion. That was all a bad memory now. He didn't have to worry about anything. He was now where he belonged, and nothing would stop him from conquering the rest of the Digital World.

"You foolish Destined Jedi are naïve if you think you can stop me now," he muttered as he sat in the dark room. "You're the antelope, and I'm the lion. You are in my jungle now. If you threaten me in my kingdom, I will not let it go unpunished. Prepare for a war, because you are going to get one."

The Digimon Emperor got up from his seated position and walked out of the room. The next phase of his plan would begin shortly. It was just a matter of time before the antelope came frolicking back into the fields to graze.

When they were, the lion would be ready to eat.

* * *

Davis and Tai stared each other down from opposite ends of the dojo. The room was still. Joe, Sora, and the other younger Destined Jedi watched with anticipation. Izzy and Matt had even come along to monitor their training. They had heard good things so far and wanted to see for themselves.

At the drop of a hat, the two moved swiftly towards each other. Their sabers clashed as they traded strikes back and forth. Davis sidestepped one strike to the side and aimed for Tai's head, but was blocked at the last second. He quickly decided on his next move and swept Tai's feet from under him. He swung for Tai's chest, but the Jedi of Courage kicked him in the stomach. Davis recoiled. Tai went right for him but was flipped onto his back as Davis used a hip toss to throw him down. A blue lightsaber blade was pointed between his eyes.

"Looks like I got the jump this time," Davis chuckled, holding his saber steady.

Tai smiled. "Well played," he said as he took the younger boy's outstretched hand to be pulled up. "You're getting better, Davis. Pretty soon, you might be ready for me to show you the proper way to use offense to your advantage."

"Oh, yeah!" Davis pumped his fist at the praise. Any time he earned praise from Tai, it made him feel like he was crowned king of the world. Over these past few weeks, he had been getting progressively better, but still had a long way to go.

The two of them went to the sidelines, where Yolei was looking at something with her back turned to them. Ever since the day before, she had sunk into a depression. The boy she had a huge crush on was their greatest enemy? She couldn't eat or sleep at all the night before, unable to process it.

"What do you have there, Yolei?" Kari asked.

The lavender-haired girl turned around with the magazine she was holding held out for all of them to see. She wordlessly flipped to a section that featured two photographs of Ken Ichijouji.

"Why does my dream hunk have to be the guy we're fighting?" she moped. "Why couldn't it be somebody else? I wanted to-"

"Ok, let's not go there," Sora nervously chuckled before taking the magazine out of her apprentice's hands. As she sifted through the feature article, it amazed her that such a normal-looking kid could hide so much.

"I knew there was something fishy about that kid," said Matt as the entire group looked over Sora's shoulder at the article. "He always looked like he was hiding something and keeping up appearances so no one could look deeper at him."

"I know what you mean," Izzy agreed. "He always seems like such a normal, down-to-earth kid."

"His smile makes him look so gentle," Kari added.

"Yeah, but his haircut makes him look like you, Kari," TK joked. Kari let out a laugh and reached up to touch her hair, but accidentally slapped him on the cheek with the back of her hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized.

"They always look normal, but they're not," said Tai. "We have to find him and confront him in our domain. We know who the Digimon Emperor is now, and he has no power in the real world the way he does in the Digital World. Let's end this once and for all."

"I'm way ahead of you, Tai," Izzy smiled as he pulled his backpack off his shoulder and pulled out his laptop. After taking a moment to get things running, he pulled up a search engine and started typing away.

"Come on, Google. Do your thing," he muttered. A map of the Tokyo area appeared on the screen and Izzy scrolled into the area around Tamachi station. He remembered seeing Ken's apartment building from some of the news reports done on him.

"Aha!" he exclaimed. "I think Ken lives somewhere in this area, if my memory serves me right."

Kari laid a finger on the digital map. "I think it's somewhere about here."

"You smudged my screen!" Izzy shot.

"Oh, quit whining," she shot him a brief glare. "I'm only pointing out where I remember seeing the apartment building behind Ken in this photograph."

Davis immediately bolted up, ready for action. This was their chance to end the Digimon Emperor's reign of terror for good, and he did not want to waste it.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he said. "Let's go get him!"

Despite everyone's enthusiasm for the idea, Tai couldn't help but feel that something was not right.

* * *

Mrs. Ichijouji sat around the kitchen table reading a magazine. Ever since last night, it was quiet in Ken's bedroom. Usually, there was loud music playing or he was typing madly on the computer, but today there was nothing. She and her husband did see he was acting different after the soccer game the other day, but thought nothing of it. The woman was starting to become concerned.

Her husband walked by and saw the perplexed look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ken's been awful quiet since last night," she said. "Ever since the soccer game on Sunday, he's been acting strange."

"I know what you mean. But I don't think it's just the soccer game that had him in a bad mood."

"What do you mean?"

"Parent-teacher conferences were last week, right?" Mrs. Ichijouji nodded. "What did his teachers have to say about him?"

"The same things they always say," she replied. "That he's brilliant and can do no wrong." She bit her lip. "They also said they have noticed a change in him."

"What kind of change?"

"He's been more quiet than usual, and won't talk at all during class sometimes. I asked them if they've talked to him, but they just said to let him figure this out on his own. It's like they've just given up on him."

Mr. Ichijouji became furious. So they were just abdicating their responsibility as educators to not step on Ken's toes. This was not going to fly for him.

"How irresponsible," he growled lowly, eyes fixed on the door to his son's bedroom. "If they're not going to do anything about him, then we will. I'm breaking down the door."

"No, dear! Don't do that! Ken might still be sleeping in there." Mrs. Ichijouji laid a hand on her husband's arm to stop him, but he knocked it away.

"Then this is the perfect time for us to talk to him ourselves," he said as he charged right for the door. He lowered his shoulder into the wood of the door, and it opened without much resistance like it wasn't locked at all. The room was dark with the only source of light coming from the computer.

"Ken?" Mr. Ichijouji checked the bed in case the boy was sleeping, but he wasn't there. His eyes glanced out at the balcony and shuddered. Nevertheless, he went out there to check in case Ken was playing a cruel joke on them.

"Dear!" Mrs. Ichijouji cried. "The computer!"

The man rushed back into the room. His blood ran cold when he saw the message on the computer.

_The killer awoke before dawn. He put his boots on. He took a face from the ancient gallery and he walked on down the hall. _

_I will get him back, even as he gloats. In the meantime, I'll practice on less honorable throats. Angel has spread its wings. The time has come for bigger things. _

_I'm alive at last, and I'm full of joy._

The parents couldn't believe what they were reading.

"Wh-What is this?" Mr. Ichijouji gasped with wide eyes.

Mrs. Ichijouji collapsed to her knees, sobbing loudly. Their son was gone.

* * *

The nine Destined Jedi stepped out of Tamachi station and joined in with the crowds walking west. Dusk was settling in, turning the sky a mix of purple and orange with the sun setting behind the skyscrapers. It was just past six o'clock, but the Jedi had a mission to complete.

"I say we get in there and do the good cop-bad cop routine," Matt suggested with a crack of his knuckles. "You be the good cop, Tai, and I'll be the bad cop."

Tai sweatdropped. "Don't you think he'll be expecting that, Matt?" he asked.

"It's effective. We can't let this kid weasel his way out of this. He's done too many horrible things for us to just go easy on him."

"Guys, we shouldn't walk in showing all our cards to him," said Joe. "If he knows what our plan is, he'll know how to get around it. I say that we do something he won't see coming."

"Like what?" Cody asked. "I actually had an idea myself."

"What is it?" Joe replied.

Cody was about to explain, but he was interrupted.

"How about we first think about how we're going to get inside?" said Sora. "What are we going to say to his parents? 'Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji, we're the Destined Jedi and we think your son is our enemy. Mind if we come inside and interrogate him?' We'd be laughed right out and probably have the police called on us."

Sirens blared out as several police cars went screaming down the road the same way the Jedi were going.

"Speaking of the police," Davis chuckled.

Kari got a bad feeling from the amount of police vehicles that were in the convoy. Something about it just felt different.

"I don't think that's a good sign," she said before taking off down the street.

"Kari, wait!" TK cried, running after her.

The others ran to catch up, dodging people as they went along. Soon, a large gathering of police cars sat in front of a building. The police were starting to cordon off the area and keep pedestrians back from the scene. The red and blue lights on the cars lit up the darkening street. Neighbors whispered among themselves. The Jedi heard something about Ken and disappearing.

"What the heck is going on?" Matt voiced what they all were thinking.

"I'm not sure, but this can't be good," Izzy replied.

The group rounded the corner to the front of the building, and saw two people that the younger Destined Jedi recognized to be the Ichijoujis. They were speaking to an officer about what had happened.

"I think…he's run away from home," they heard the father say. Mrs. Ichijouji was still sobbing into her husband's shoulder. "We hadn't seen him since last night and he left a note." He handed a printed version of the message to the officer.

The Jedi were stunned, and a little angry as well.

"Damn it!" Matt cursed under his breath. His fist shook as he clenched it tightly. "The little rat knew we were coming, so he fled."

"What do we do now?" Davis asked, losing hope in their mission.

"Since Ken is now in the Digital World, we'll have to fight on an uneven playing field," said Izzy. "There, he is the most powerful being. We can't go rushing in there and expect to win. It's going to take a lot of planning."

"How are we going to do it then, Izzy?" asked TK. "If Ken knows what we're planning, he'll just avoid us."

"I may have a solution. Let's all meet after school tomorrow and I will tell you what I am thinking."

As the Destined Jedi broke off and went their own ways, a man watching them from an alleyway left and went for a nearby payphone. He inserted the money and dialed a number. He waited patiently as the tone rang a few times.

* * *

Davis was antsy all day during school the next day. The events of last night weighed heavily on his mind. It burned him that Ken snuck out right from under their noses and was not going to be coming back to the real world. They lost their only chance to stop him in the one place they had the upper hand.

He tried to concentrate on the teacher's lecture, but found it difficult to concentrate for the smallest second. A note landed on his desk from Kari, who was seated to his left. He looked over, curious to what it was, but she just nodded. His Force abilities were growing stronger, but not enough to allow him to sense what Kari was thinking.

Wordlessly, he opened the slip of paper and read the message inside.

_Meet in the computer lab after school. Izzy's figured something out. _

A relieved sigh escaped his lips. Finally, it felt like they were getting somewhere. He anxiously sat through the rest of the lesson until the final bell rang.

While everyone else went for the exit, the three Destined Jedi went straight for the computer lab. Tai and Sora were there, along with Matt, and Izzy sat at the computer once they walked inside the room. Yolei and Cody entered a few moments later. Joe arrived twenty minutes later.

"Okay, guys. Here is what I came up with," the computer genius said, typing away madly at the keyboard. "Since Ken is now staying permanently in the Digital World, and it will be useless to convince him to come back, we must defeat him." He pointed to a few points on the map that were covered in black. "Already he's taking over more territory as we speak. If we can just rattle his cage a little, maybe he might back off."

Matt slammed his fist down on the desktop, scaring Izzy out of his wits as he let out a brief scream.

"I'm done treating him with kid gloves," the blonde said in frustration. "This guy is never going to stop just because we order him to. We have to destroy him before he destroys us!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Who's saying he wants to destroy us?" Davis replied. "He said himself that he doesn't want to kill us."

Burning blue eyes stared daggers into him.

"Don't be naïve, Davis," Matt growled lowly. "That's what they all say in order to drop your guard. I'm not going to let this guy get away with anything more than he already has."

"Speaking of which, how did your date with Jun go, Matt?" Tai teased. Sora and TK snickered, but tried to contain them as Matt turned his hostile gaze to the bushy-haired Jedi.

"Don't. Ask," he hissed. "Come on, Izzy. Get us to the Digital World!"

The computer genius typed a few keys on the computer and soon, the gate was ready for entry.

Before the Jedi could enter, Izzy handed them all portable headsets that stuck in one ear.

"These are a new invention I made," he explained. "So that we can communicate in real time instead of writing emails to each other and getting a delayed response. Any time you guys need help, just speak into these communicators and I will take care of it."

Tai clapped a hand on Izzy's shoulder.

"What would we do without you, Izzy?" he smiled, which the boy returned.

"You'd be lost."

"Don't push your luck," Tai pointed a teasing finger at him, earning a laugh from the other Jedi. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

The Destined Jedi were transported to a wasteland that made them feel like they were standing on top of a volcano. It was so hot that they were already sweating buckets just by standing still. They soon discovered the reason for that: Lava pits were spread throughout the area.

"Izzy, we're in," Tai said into his headset. "Do you copy?"

"_Roger," _the computer genius replied. _"So far, everything looks clear. You guys should be okay for now, but stay on the lookout for you-know-who." _

"Got it," Tai looked back at TK. "Lead the way, TK."

The blonde boy nodded. "Alright, guys. I can't stand being in this heat any second longer, so let's find Ken and defeat him."

The group followed him and Tai as they trekked through the hot wasteland. Steam packets erupted every few seconds, startling the Jedi with each burst. They walked for what seemed like for hours but couldn't find a hint of the Emperor.

Soon, they entered a gorge with large slopes of sharp rock on either side. Just like the lava fields they just came out of, the canyon was boiling. The cliffs went as high as the sky, making them seem more imposing as they cast much-needed shadows over the Jedi.

"It's so hot!" Yolei whined as she wiped some humidity off of her glasses during a stop. She was sweating more than any of the other Jedi so she consumed as much water as she could.

"And we haven't found any trace of the Emperor," said Cody. "Maybe he's not in this area. I haven't felt his presence."

TK looked around in deep concentration. His eyes were closed as he scanned the area for any hints of a strong Force energy. Somewhere further inside the canyon, he could feel the presence of something. It was faint, but it was enough to be felt by him.

He opened his eyes. "Ken is here. I sense him. Be on your guard, everyone."

The group continued on through the gorge. The air was deathly still, as if in anticipation that something might happen. The Jedi felt uneasy as they reached the midpoint, the heat never letting up for a second. The Force was strong here.

TK suddenly stopped. Something didn't feel right.

"Wait," he said, putting a hand up.

"What is it, TK?" asked Matt, looking around for what might have caused the order.

Out of the corner of his eye, TK saw movement in the rocks behind them. He spun with a jerk and activated his lightsaber. The group did the same on reflex, and that was when the figure chose to jump out from behind the large boulders.

Lightsabers clashed, and Yolei was thrown against the rocks. The Digimon Emperor blocked Tai's three-strike combo and backhanded him across the face before kicking Matt in the face.

"Surprise," Ken hissed with an evil smirk as he and TK locked their sabers together.

The blonde broke them apart and used his new Djem So style to match the Emperor's Juyo technique strike for strike. Cody jumped in to help, but Ken was cool under the assault of two Jedi. He used the Force to lift Cody off the ground while at the same time, use his other hand to shove TK back with a Force wave. Still holding Cody, Ken threw him into the cliff wall and continued bashing him into it repeatedly.

"Stop it!" Davis roared as the Digimon Emperor watched in sadistic glee. He tackled the tyrant to the ground, stopping the attack. Cody collapsed to the ground on his stomach. The back of his head was bleeding.

"You will pay for what you've done, Ken," Davis growled as he and Ken got into it. The burgundy-haired boy's strikes were erratic as his anger took control of him. The Emperor sensed this and would use it to his advantage.

"With anger like that, you would be a valuable asset, Davis," the Emperor smirked. "Why don't you ditch all these losers and join me? We can rule the Digital World together."

"I'll never join you!" Davis roared as he put all his power into his next strike, hoping to hit his mark and destroy the Digimon Emperor forever.

Ken dodged the attack with ease and swept Davis' feet from under him as he landed on his back. He jabbed his saber into the boy's thigh. Davis' screams of pain echoed throughout the canyon. It was like a thousand hot knives were being stabbed into his leg repeatedly with no stopping.

"You're a fool," Ken shrugged, barely paying attention to the boy's howls. "I offer you friendship, and you spit in my face. I won't kill you now, Davis, but next time you and your little friends will not be so lucky."

He retracted his saber from his thigh. His mission was done and his point had been made.

"Let this be known that I am done playing games with you all. You're finished, Destined Jedi," he said before leaping up the canyon walls, letting out a maniacal laugh as he got away. Davis continued writhing on the ground in pain.

"Davis!" Kari cried as she ran to his side. "Are you okay?"

"Kari…" the boy hissed out. "It…hurts."

"Just stay still," she ordered as the other Jedi rushed over to his aid. Yolei and Joe took care of Cody as the Jedi of Reliability cleaned the wounds on the back of the boy's head.

"Joe, get over here!" Tai yelled after examining the wound on Davis' leg. It was a four-inch hole in the middle of his thigh. It wasn't deep enough to where he could see completely through, but it was still awful to look at.

Matt watched with shock and horror. The Emperor just took things to a completely different level. Before, he was just playing mind games with them like a little kid who got off on practical jokes. Now, he was indeed serious about destroying them.

He looked up the cliff Ken had just climbed.

'_This is war now.'_

* * *

**Indeed it is. Now that the Destined Jedi know Ken is serious this time, what will they do next in their fight against him? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**So yeah, I definitely had a lot of Sweeney Todd influence in this chapter. The message was a combination of lines from the Doors' song "The End", Marilyn Manson's "Antichrist Superstar", and "Ephiphany" from Sweeney Todd, so credit goes to all of their owners of course. Ken is definitely turning another corner, and one I don't think is a good one. I always imagined him after finishing the interview just pulling out a cigarette and lighting it because the cover was no longer necessary. Hey, I've seen kids get into crazy stuff at young ages. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. It was definitely much darker than what we had gotten before, which I wanted to do in order to set things up for the next few chapters. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you haven't already. I'll see you all next weekend ;-)**


	11. A New Plan

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: You are about to find out ;-)**

**Ackbarfan5556: Yup, except Davis has to live with his for now XD **

**Music Chick: Oh yes. Just you wait for what is coming later. **

**honter11: No I am not. He controls somebody else, someone close to the group. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thanks. It gets crazier from here on. **

**Also thanks to gostman28 for the favorite and follow.**

* * *

**Hey guys. How's it going? Sorry for posting this a couple hours late, but I had a very good reason for that. I had a week that you would not believe. I was running around so much that I barely had time to write, but I managed to get things finished up. This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but it is still excellent. **

**Hope you all enjoy it because we get some Joe X Cody bonding time. **

* * *

Tai and the others waited nervously as Joe and his father tended to Davis in the other room. They were still in shock from the suddenness of the assault and the fact that Davis had gotten badly injured by Ken. After they returned from the Digital World, Joe took them to his apartment because going to the hospital would have meant calling Davis' parents and telling them what happened, which would have been extremely hard to explain.

Luckily, Joe's father was home, and didn't hesitate to take him in. It had been over an hour since they went into the room. Tai hoped it wasn't serious as he stared at the door. Cody was also looked at due to the cuts on the back of his head, but he was released after only five minutes with Band Aids on.

Mrs. Kido made tea for everyone as they waited, but they were all too nervous to sip on any tea. Sora was the only one who drank any of her tea to be polite, but not anyone else.

Finally, the door opened and Joe emerged. Everyone got up.

"How is he, Joe?" Tai asked right away.

Joe took off the latex gloves on his hands and straightened his glasses before replying, "He's going to be fine. Luckily, Ken didn't sink his lightsaber so far that it pierced muscle, but Davis will need to be on crutches for a while. It could take weeks before he fully recovers." He looked at Sora. "If only you still had your healing powers, Sora. He could be fully healed right now."

That got a much-needed laugh from the room as Dr. Kido came out as well, his stethoscope hanging around his neck.

"Well, kids, your friend just needs some bed rest for a couple of days before he can move around again," he said. "In the meantime, no soccer or any other physical activity until he fully recovers. You're very lucky things weren't worse."

"Thanks, Dad," Joe smiled at his father.

"You can all go in and see him now."

The Jedi didn't wait to go in, but they didn't crowd each other at the door. They all entered orderly as they saw Davis laying down on a futon. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his thigh, which was propped up on a pillow. He looked up at everyone as they came into the room.

"Hey, guys," he said hoarsely, sounding like a frog was in his throat. Davis propped his elbows under him to try and push himself up, but Tai stopped him.

"Don't get up," he ordered. "You need to lay down and rest."

"I can't!" Davis protested. "I'm going to make Ken pay for what he did."

"When you are fully recovered. But for now, lay down and rest."

Davis puffed out his cheeks, but conceded to Tai's wish and laid on his back. Everyone kneeled down on the floor around him. The mood was somber as no one spoke for several moments. They were still in shock at what happened that they couldn't bring themselves to talk about it.

"I'm getting tired of this," Matt muttered darkly. "Ken was annoying before, but now he has now taken things to another level. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."

TK couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sure, Ken went a little too far this time, but there was no need to make emotional decisions.

"Matt, I completely understand," he said. "Our emotions are high right now, but let's not make any hasty decisions."

"TK's right," Cody agreed. "The Emperor will have us for lunch if we march back there right now."

"And besides," Izzy added. "We have a new problem on our hands. I heard that the school is going to be turning the computer lab into the new detention room. We'll need to find somewhere else to go to the Digital World."

Everyone looked at him in surprise. They hadn't heard anything about that before, which made it all the more surprising. If they couldn't go through the computer lab, how were they going to get to the Digital World? The gate worked with no other computer.

"What are we going to do?" Sora asked with her eyes awash in concern.

Like he always did when he thought of a good idea, Izzy's eyes brightened and his mouth curved into a smirk.

"I've been thinking about this for a while," he said. "What we need is our own place where we can come and go to the Digital World whenever we want. Somewhere that won't attract any attention."

"Like a headquarters?" Joe surmised.

"Precisely. Any ideas on what we can use as one? Even though for us older kids, our parents are aware of what we're doing, it won't be a good idea to use one of our apartments."

Everyone looked around the circle at the person across from and next to them, wondering if they had anything that could work. Each was met with a blank stare. Finally, after a few seconds, Matt opened his mouth with a suggestion.

"We can use my band's rehearsal space," he said. "It's a big warehouse, so there should be room for a computer room away from the main rehearsal area."

The Jedi looked around and found they were all in agreement on the idea. Sora hugged Matt in appreciation, which caused the blonde's face to erupt with redness.

"Have I ever told you that you are the greatest, Matt?" Tai slapped him on the back.

"It's no big deal, guys," Matt replied bashfully as Sora let go of him. "It's just that the warehouse is hardly ever used except for when we have band practice, so I figured we may as well use it for a good cause."

"That's right, Matt," Izzy smiled. "We appreciate it. Now, all I have to do is find a way to get the computer into the warehouse and set up a connection."

The kids looked at him like he had gone mad.

"You mean steal it?" Yolei asked with wide eyes.

"_Borrowing_," Izzy corrected. "It's the only computer that we can access the Digital World. I'll just get a computer that is just like the one in the lab and replace it with that one. No one will know the difference."

"You better be right about this, Izzy," Matt glared at him. "I'm not going to jail for you if you get caught."

"I won't."

* * *

'_This is crazy!' _Izzy groaned to himself as he pushed the cart along the hallway after school. On top of the grated bed was a box with an identical computer to the one in the computer lab. Now that he was actually doing it, he wasn't so sure about the plan. He was stealing school property. No telling what would happen if he was caught. Expulsion, the loss of his reputation, and the punishment of a lifetime from his parents.

Despite his fears, he pushed the cart along like nothing was wrong. The hallways were cleared with the teachers being in the staff room about now. Izzy had timed everything down to the second. In a few moments, he would have the computer and wheel it out to the warehouse that had been given to them. It had to work.

Izzy pushed the cart slowly so that the rumbling of the wheels against the floors did not sound like an elephant stampeding through the school. He would surely be caught then.

After a tense walk down the hall, he finally arrived at the computer lab. The room was empty for the time being, but the next day would be when the detention room took effect. He had to work fast and get out before anyone noticed he was there. He pulled the cart inside the room before slowly sliding the door closed.

Izzy sighed in relief. He was now alone in the room. Quickly, he pulled out his toolbox from his bag and got to work.

"Alright, my pretty little friend," Izzy smirked. "Prepare to get Izzy'd."

His nimble fingers worked with the precision and delicateness of a weaver weaving silk as he unscrewed the nails holding the computer down to the desktop with his screwdriver. Every few seconds, Izzy would look over his shoulder to make sure no one was outside the room. It felt like he was getting away with murder.

After another minute, the computer was freed from the desktop and placed on the cart. Izzy breathed a little easier now that the hard part had been done. All that was left was to put up the replacement computer.

The door slid open.

Izzy almost dropped the computer in surprise as he turned his head. His eyes met the surprised gaze of a dark-haired man.

"Hey," he said, recognizing the man. "Aren't you Daigo Nishijima?"

Daigo nodded. "That's right. What are you doing here, Mr. Izumi?" He glanced at the computer in his hands. "And what are you doing with that computer?"

Izzy felt a drop of sweat run down his forehead. He dug through his mind for a rationalization. He never expected to get this far.

"There's…um….a problem with it," he said quickly, tripping over his words for a moment. "I'm just taking it in to…uh…"

Daigo raised his hand, halting the boy's sputtering. A friendly smile was on his face.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a wink. "That computer has been acting weird all school year. I've heard you're quite the computer genius, Mr. Izumi, so I trust you to figure out what is wrong with it."

"Thank you, sir," Izzy nodded with a bow. "It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Good." Daigo left the room without another word.

Izzy let the breath he had been holding loose, hunching his shoulders as his whole body relaxed. That was too close. He finished his work and got out as quickly as he could. He was lucky it was Daigo, and not Mr. Fujiyama that he ran into. He liked the man, but he was hard to get rid of.

* * *

Cody took a deep breath through his nose and let it out as he concentrated deeply. His eyes were closed as he and Joe sat beside each other in Cody's bedroom. The two were meditating to put themselves at ease before jumping into one-on-one saber sparring. Cody could not concentrate that well today. Something else was weighing heavily on his mind.

How Ken was able to easily evade their detection and surprise them like that proved he was growing stronger by the minute. Soon, he would become even more powerful than he was before. If he did, there was no telling whether all of the Jedi put together could stop him. Cody tried to steer his mind somewhere else, but it kept coming back to the hopelessness he felt in their mission. It was now a fool's errand.

Joe opened one eye in Cody's direction. He may not have the ability to feel the Force anymore, but he knew something was wrong with the younger boy. His breathing was off, sounding more constricted than normal. Cody was normally still in his meditation, but today he was shifting around more.

"Okay," Joe said, taking one last breath. "Open your eyes now."

Slowly, Cody's eyelids rose to reveal his green eyes to the world. He looked around the room for a moment to re-familiarize himself with his surroundings. The puzzled look on his face was clear for Joe to read like an open book.

"Something the matter, Cody?"

Cody thinned his lips as he turned to look at the Jedi of Reliability. He wasn't sure whether it was right for a Destined Jedi to say the things he was thinking. Even so, ever since he met Joe, he felt like he could tell him anything.

"I guess you can say that," he muttered.

"What is it? I may not be able to sense what the problem is, but I have worked with you enough these past couple of weeks that I can tell when something is bothering you," Joe said with a smirk. "So, what is it?"

Cody gazed at the floor as he muttered something Joe couldn't hear.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said what are we going to do about Ken?" Cody replied a little louder. "He's growing stronger as more darkness consumes him. I have felt it. I have a feeling that he'll eventually become too strong for us to handle."

Joe blinked in confusion. "You're worried about that?"

"After what happened the other day, I'm starting to have some doubts," Cody looked down at the floor in shame. "I shouldn't be feeling this way. I'm a disgrace."

"Don't say that, Cody," Joe assured him, shaking his shoulder. The boy looked up at him with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Let me tell you something. There were lots of times where I doubted whether what we were doing was right during our first adventures. When Gennai died, and we had to face the Dark Masters by ourselves, I was sure we weren't going to come home; that we would end up like the first group of Destined Jedi that died before us. What kept me going was I knew that it had to be done, no matter how scared I was."

The bespectacled Jedi looked at the back of Cody's head and saw the still-healing cuts. It finally occurred to him why the young boy was feeling this way.

"Are you afraid?"

"No, of course not," Cody denied, but Joe knew he wasn't being sincere.

"You can tell me, Cody. It's okay."

The boy let out a shaky breath. Everything that he had desperately tried to keep hidden was coming up to the surface.

"I'm afraid," he croaked. He suddenly burst into tears, burying his face in his hands to hide them. With his quiet sobs, Joe realized that Cody wasn't crying because he was afraid. He was crying because of something deeper.

Joe moved from his spot beside Cody to sit in front of him.

"Is something else bothering you, Cody?"

Cody removed his face from his hands and found himself staring directly into Joe's eyes. He wiped away any other tears that were still on his face and slowly got a grip on himself.

"I promised myself I would never show any emotion," he mumbled. "Ever since my father died, it has been my duty to be the man of the house. I can't let anyone see the emotional side of me because I'm afraid that it'll make me seem weak." He sniffled. "If I let everyone down, it would be a fate worse than death for me. I'm drowning in this never-ending sea with nowhere to swim to."

Joe listened attentively as Cody continued sobbing. He could never imagine being in the position of not having his father be there in his life. It must have been hard for Cody to be open about what he was feeling because he never had someone to lean on except for his grandfather. He smiled softly.

"You can swim to me, Cody," he assured, resting his hand on top of Cody's. "Being afraid makes us human. I can't imagine the load you have carried since your father died. Let me share that burden with you. If you ever need to get something out, come to me and just let it out. I'll listen."

"But-"

"Just because we're the Destined Jedi does not mean we are above being human. You don't need to hold it all in anymore, Cody."

Cody wiped his eyes free of tears and looked back at Joe with a nod. The smile on the older Jedi's face made him feel safe and want to talk about his problems.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Good," Joe said with a nod. "Now let's get back to training."

_Knock! Knock!_

The two quickly put notebooks and math textbooks in front of them as the door opened. Cody's grandfather peaked inside at the two of them.

"And that is how you find the coefficient," Joe explained, pointing from one set of numbers to the next. "Think you understand it a little bit better, Cody?"

Cody nodded. "Yes, I do." He turned to look at the door. "Oh, hello, Grandfather."

"Hello, boys," Chikara greeted with a nod. "Hard at work, are we?"

"We're just about done here, sir," Joe replied. "Cody just needed some help with coefficients and finding prime numbers."

"Good. I just wanted to check in and make sure everything was okay," the man pulled out small packets. "Want some Chu-Chu?"

Cody burst out laughing while Joe sweatdropped.

"Uh, no thanks," he said. "We're fine."

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me," Chikara winked at them before closing the door behind him.

* * *

The Destined Jedi gathered at a warehouse district near the industrial park in Odaiba after school the next day. From the outside, the building was a standard-looking warehouse, but was now the new "Destined Jedi Temple" as Davis so eloquently called it.

The group stepped inside and got a good idea of how massive the place was. The ceilings were twenty feet high and felt cavernous, making it the perfect place for the Destined Jedi to go to and from the Digital World without arousing suspicion.

"Wow," TK breathed, his voice echoing across the room.

"Yeah," Davis agreed.

Tai looked at Matt. "This is quite the setup you guys have here," he said. "I'm surprised you didn't suggest this before."

Matt shrugged. "It just never occurred to me. If you all had asked before, I could have already set things up so we could do that. Better late than never, I guess."

The group continued walking until they were at the other side of the warehouse. A room that they assumed used to be an office was there with the door open in the far corner. When they walked inside, they were amazed at what they saw.

"Welcome, everyone," Izzy greeted them, "to our new headquarters."

Servers were stacked up to the ceiling along the walls, chords and plug-ins ran up and down the floor like silicon-covered snakes, and right in the middle of all this was a long desktop with a computer on top of it.

Yolei felt like she was in a Wonderland for computer geeks. Her eyes grew so big that it was possible they would knock her glasses off of her face.

"This is so cool!" she squealed. "I can't believe we have our own secret base!"

Izzy chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I'm glad you all like it. Thanks for giving us this space, Matt. It's got everything we need: Plenty of space, good power sources, and now we have the computer from the school lab."

"I can't believe you actually did that. What are we going to do when they realize it's gone?" Mimi demanded.

"I switched it out with one that was the same model," Izzy responded coolly. "They're not going to know the difference. It was a necessary move because this is the only computer we can access the Digital World with."

Tai chuckled. "I said it already, but where would we be without you and your great ideas, Izzy?"

"It's simple," Izzy shrugged. "Nowhere."

Everyone gathered around the computer, anxious to get to the Digital World. There was just one problem though.

"You're staying here, Davis," Tai ordered. "You still haven't fully recovered from Ken impaling your leg."

"My leg's fine," Davis pouted adamantly. "You heard Joe. It was just a flesh wound, nothing to worry about."

"Yes, but I don't want to take the risk of Ken finishing the job," the bushy-haired Jedi replied with a glare. "You can help us by keeping watch from the computer and make sure we don't get any surprises."

Davis opened his mouth to argue, but Tai narrowed his glare further. Kari even looked at him with a look that said he had better listen. So, despite his heart telling him to push on, he slinked back and obeyed.

"Alright," he mumbled. "I'll stay behind."

Tai patted him on the shoulder. "I'm only doing this for your own good," he said with a soft smile. "I don't want to risk you getting hurt any worse than you did."

Davis gave the Jedi of Courage an understanding nod. "I get it. Thanks, Tai."

With Davis taken care of, the rest of the Jedi surrounded the computer and left for the Digital World.

The Jedi of Courage and Friendship put in his earpiece and sat in front of the computer. Ten red dots appeared on a digital plane on the screen.

"Alright, it's time for some fun," he muttered excitedly. "Can you guys hear me?"

"_Loud and clear, Davis," _TK replied over his earpiece. _"Keep watch for us. We're going in to find Ken." _

"Roger."

* * *

The Digimon Emperor awoke from his meditation. Those familiar presences had returned. He smirked.

"They've come," he snickered. "Just wait until they see what I have ready for them. I wonder how one of them will respond to being separated from their dear friends."

* * *

The Destined Jedi moved further along the jungle path, surprised that Ken had not been there to greet them right away. Even so, there was the feeling that something was waiting to happen. It put all of them on edge because the occasional stray vine or soft earth could have been a trap waiting to be tripped.

"This is nuts," Tai muttered under his breath. "I can't escape the feeling that Ken is playing with us. We haven't seen a hint of him, but I know he's around."

"Don't relax for a moment, gang," TK echoed. "We don't want to be taken by surprise like we did last time."

Just as he said that, the ground disappeared beneath them, and the Destined Jedi fell through a hole in the ground, disappearing into the darkness below. Cody was at the back of the group, so he did not fall with them.

"What…just happened?" he breathed with wide eyes, gazing down at the chasm the group fell in. "Guys?" he called.

No response.

"Joe?" he said weakly, hoping that the Jedi of Reliability would hear him. But he, too, did not respond. Cody pressed on his earpiece. "Davis, what happened? Can you find everyone?"

"_They're not showing up on the screen," _Davis replied after a few seconds. _"Looks like it was a booby trap that Ken had set for us, knowing you would be going through there. It's up to you to find them, Cody." _

"But what do I do?"

"_Has Joe taught you anything of value? Use your feelings, and you'll find them. Watch out for Ken. You don't want to be on the receiving end of a lightsaber through the leg." _

"Very funny," Cody rolled his eyes before taking his finger off the 'talk' button. He didn't have any time to waste. His friends needed his help.

First, he sat down and closed his eyes, meditating to center himself in the Force. The only way he would find his friends was if he maintained a calm, peaceful exterior. The Force would guide him to them; he just had to believe in himself and the Force. Everything Joe taught him up to this point prepared him for this moment.

Cody opened his eyes, narrowed in determination.

"I'm going to make you pay for taking my friends away, Emperor," he hissed under his breath. "I will bring you to justice."

The small Jedi sprung up to his feet and jumped into the hole. After twenty feet, he landed on the bottom with a soft thud that was magnified even more by the cavernous walls.

Three separate paths were right in front of Cody, leading down three different paths. Down the way, he heard the echoing of rocks hitting the ground. If his friends weren't here, that meant they had been taken down one of the paths, or worse, all of them. Which way was right?

Cody calmed his mind again and reached out with his senses for a hint of the others' Force energy. The Force was a fork in the path, like a river breaking off into separate inlets before reuniting again. His fellow Jedi were counting on him to make the right choice.

'_Come on, Force. Guide me. Guide me to my friends.' _

A vision flashed in his mind for one second. A creature had burst out of a cave wall in front of him just as he reached his friends. Was this a vision of what was to happen? It had never happened before. Why was it happening now?

Cody opened his eyes, a bright purple light glowing in the darkness of the cave. The boy looked at his wrist and saw the symbol of Knowledge was the source of it. The vision of the future must be a power that he had to unlock before he used it.

With this newfound power, he activated his green lightsaber to serve as a torch to light his way down the caves and ran down the center path.

'_You can find us, Cody,' _Joe's voice entered his mind. _'You just have to believe in yourself.' _

'_I will, Joe.'_

With his knowledge of what was to come in the future, Cody stepped quickly, but carefully, through the cave system.

* * *

From the comfort of his base, Ken watched the small boy with the glee of a hunter watching his prey wander right into the trap that was set. Ever since they met, he had been anxious to put the little twerp in his place.

Cody was an annoying little pest with his self-righteous snobbery and annoying morality. Ken wanted nothing more than to demoralize the little mutant. If he could break him, then the others would be easy to smash to pieces.

"Try all you want, Cody," he snickered. "But you have no idea what is coming your way."

* * *

Cody stopped to take a rest in the middle of a corridor. Despite how tired he was, his friends were counting on him to rescue them. Nothing was going to stop him from doing that.

A scream came from down the path. It sounded a lot like Yolei. Cody straightened his back and ran as fast as he could. The Force gave him an added boost, making the walls go by like the rotating screens used in Hollywood movies. With one last turn, he saw his friends all chained by their wrists and ankles.

"Guys!" he cried, raising his lightsaber to slash through the chains and free them.

"Cody, get out of here!" Yolei screamed. "It's a trap! Leave now!"

"It's far too late for that," a gruff voice hissed from the shadows. Leomon emerged out of the darkness, but something about him seemed off to the youngest Destined Jedi. From what the others had told him, Leomon was a good friend and ally to the Destined Jedi, but he didn't look that way now.

His radiant gold mane had turned black, with his skin an almost grey color. His eyes were blood red, and Cody found out why when he glanced at the lion warrior's arm. A Dark Ring was wrapped around it.

"No," he breathed.

"You have chosen the wrong path, young Jedi," Leomon growled with a twisted voice. "Now, you will pay for your foolishness."

The lion warrior's lightsaber sprang forth. Cody backed off a step before assuming his stance. The two glared at one another for what felt like an eternity before Leomon finally engaged the boy.

Their lightsabers clashed with ferocity. Leomon struck from every direction imaginable as Cody dodged and blocked them all, not looking to attack a friend of the group even with him being under the Dark Ring's control.

"You have learned much, young one," Leomon noted, impressed with how fast and strong the boy was.

Cody smirked. "You'll find I'm full of surprises," he returned as the two resumed their duel.

Cody had his lightsaber knocked out of his hand after Leomon put all of his strength into the swing. The lion moved in to finish the job, but Cody ducked and kicked his hand, knocking Leomon's saber away.

"Cody, go for the Dark Ring!" TK called out. "If you destroy it, he'll go back to normal."

The small Jedi nodded and dove for his lightsaber, but Leomon kicked him two feet across the room. He pinned his hand to Cody's throat and proceeded to strangle him. Leomon pulled him up from the ground and held him in the air, watching with delight as the boy's face twisted in agony.

"Cody!" the other Jedi cried, straining against their bonds to try and break free to help their youngest member. Their efforts were fruitless as they watched with despair.

"You have fought well, young Jedi," the lion hissed. "You have controlled your fear. But now, you must decide which you value more: Your friends or your life. You cannot escape with both."

Cody struggled to breathe in Leomon's tight grip. The fist clenched around him felt like the coils of a boa constrictor that was about to swallow him whole. Even so, his mind remained calm. His lightsaber skittered slowly across the ground just a few feet away from him.

"Actually," he choked out. "I will. I've already figured it out."

Leomon's grip slacked from the shock of that statement just enough for Cody to call his lightsaber to his hand. The green blade sprang forth and stuck his lightsaber into the Dark Ring. Leomon screamed as the device disintegrated into nothing.

The cave fell silent. Only the heavy breathing of the two combatants filled the air. Cody looked down at Leomon. His eyes had returned to their natural blue color, confused by what had happened.

"What happened?" he gasped as he let go of Cody. "What am I doing here?"

Once he saw the other Jedi in chains, it clicked with him. The last thing Leomon remembered was engaging with the Emperor when a Dark Ring attached itself to his arm.

"Are you okay, Leomon?" asked Cody. "You were under the control of the Emperor's Dark Ring."

The lion nodded. "Thanks to you, I am okay now," he said with a smile before turning to the rest of the group. Using his lightsaber, he cut them all down from their chains.

"I am sorry for causing all this trouble, my friends," he apologized. "I didn't mean it."

"No worries, Leomon," Tai assured him with a small smile. "At least Cody saved you before it was too late. You should probably lay low from now on in case the Emperor tries to take control of you again."

"But-" Leomon started to protest before TK interrupted him.

"We'll take care of it. We've got his game," the blonde-haired boy said. "The best thing you can do right now is alert us when Ken causes trouble again. We don't want anything happening to you this time."

Leomon nodded. "I will find Andromon and Ogremon to tell them this. You all better look out for each other because the Emperor is only growing more powerful by the day. He's expanding his territory. It will not be long before there is no safe place in the Digital World. May the Force be with you, my friends."

"And also with you," the Jedi echoed as Leomon walked down another path in the cave.

Joe looked down at Cody with a proud gaze.

"How did you know Leomon would be here, Cody?" he asked.

"I'm not quite sure," the boy replied. "Something inside of me snapped and all of a sudden, I had a vision that he would be here. Is that normal?"

"That's your greater power unlocking," Izzy replied with a big smile. "Each of us has a hidden power inside of us that we need to dig deeper to find. Your wanting to find us must have unlocked it, Cody."

While everyone else congratulated the boy on his accomplishment, Yolei pouted with a frown on her face. She was happy for her young friend, but also jealous that he did something before she did.

"Hmph! If Cody can discover his greater power, then I can unlock mine too," she muttered.

The Jedi soon left the caves, but Ken was not done watching them. He threw a chair across the room with the Force, smashing it into the wall with a loud clatter.

"Okay, that didn't work," he growled as he pulled his hair tightly. "Sometimes you have to do things by yourself. Some people are just too stupid to do it."

He turned with a jerk. That presence. Ever since he came to the Digital World, he could sense the presence of another. But whenever he looked, there was nothing there. It was driving him crazy.

"Whoever you are, leave me alone!" he shouted. "I am the most powerful being in the Digital World! You will not torment me!"

'_Great,' _Ken internally groaned. _'I must be losing my mind here. There's nothing there.'_

* * *

**Is Ken going mad? What does he have planned next for the Jedi? Stay tuned for the next episode of Attack of the Emperor. **

**So while this is a different version of events, Ken still took control of one of the Jedi's closest allies. I thought giving Leomon more time on paper was a good way to do that. Cody also unlocks his greater ability: the ability to analyze a situation and see what ends up happening as a result. This will come in handy at points later. I also wanted to give him some room to grow emotionally since did not get that in the series until Oikawa, but it was too late. He needed somebody to lean on in dealing with his father's death. He held a lot in that it just needed to come out. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and was worth the few hours of delay. I'll be back on top of things next week with the next chapter. Someone else will unlock one part of their greater powers. The new Jedi get two because they inherit two Crests. **

**Leave a review and subscribe if you haven't already. I'll see you lot next weekend ;-) **


	12. Courageous Friendship

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Yes he did. You'll like it, I'm sure. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Of course. That was a great idea you put in, but I used it for my own purposes instead of copying you. **

**Music Chick: He's Prince Hamlet XD Cody's new skill will be a valuable asset to the group. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Glad you like it. The whole them going to school the whole time for that just made no sense after a while. They needed their own headquarters in order to not draw too much attention from unwanted people. **

* * *

**Hey guys! How's everybody doing this week? I could be better. I had a long and stressful weak. To top it off, I am coming down with a cold. That is why I am once again a bit late in updating when I normally do. At least we have it out today :) Cody unlocked one of his greater powers last chapter, and now it is Davis' turn. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

"_You lose. Continue?" _

"Kazuya, you bastard," Davis muttered as he lost yet another round in _Tekken 2. _The final stage was always a difficult one. Did the creators purposely overpower Kazuya Mishima so that he kicked the players' ass every time?

He hit the enter button with his thumb. "Alright, let's see what you can do with this," he said as he went for another round. Davis stuck a cookie between his teeth to help with his concentration.

The weekend had finally arrived, and he was still being forced to stay home to recover from Ken's attack. It had been a few days since the incident, and he knew he was getting better, but Tai didn't think he was ready to return to action yet. For now, he took the opportunity to rest his mind and play some video games.

A familiar presence came into the room. Davis rolled his eyes with a groan as a sigh reached his ears.

"How I envy you, Davis," Jun shook her head with disapproval. She had just gotten out of the shower with her hair put up in a towel and another one wrapped around her body. "Look at you."

"Hm?" The boy paused to the game to glare at his sister.

"All you think about is eating, sleeping, pooping, and playing video games. What a simple creature you are."

"There are plenty of other things I think about, Jun," he said with a mouthful of cookie. "And they're none of your business."

His sister glared back. "Oh yeah?" she shot. "Name one."

Davis didn't have time to talk to his annoying sister. He wanted to get this last round of video games over with so he could go meet his friends, but Jun looked like she was in no mood to leave quickly.

"There's a lot of things," he took the cookie out of his mouth to speak clearly. "But thinking about them hurts my head. So, to keep my mind as razor sharp as it needs to be, I'm taking a break to play some video games."

Jun looked at the game on the screen with disgust. "Those stupid fighting games turn your brain to mush if you ask me."

"Well, nobody asked you, stupid. What are you even doing here anyway? Couldn't find someone else to annoy? I'm just trying to enjoy myself before I go over to Tai's."

Jun became even more interested. "You've been spending an awful lot of time at Tai's lately," she said. "Is there any particular reason why Tai and Kari can't come here?"

"Yeah. You," her brother shot. "We don't want you poking around in our business."

"What do you need to hide from me so much?"

"None of your business!"

"It's nothing illegal is it? If it is, I have no choice but to tell Mom and Dad the truth of what you are really up to."

Davis' face turned red. "We're not doing anything illegal! What do you want from me?"

Jun finally let the topic go for a moment to explain her dilemma to her mutant of a brother.

"It's nothing important," she feigned a shrug before pointing to something on her chin. "A pimple! My life as we know it is through!"

Davis groaned as he returned back to his video game. "Just pop it, stupid. Everyone gets them."

"I can't!" Jun then disappeared into fantasyland about Matt. "What if Matt were to see me like this? He's so cute, and I'm so hideous with this extra head on my chin. If he saw this pimple, he'll be so grossed out that he'll break up with me. Of course, we're not really going out now, but he won't want to go out with me because of it."

Davis wanted to rip his ears off so badly as his sister continued her tangent. Sometimes he wished he was an only child like Cody, or at least had a sibling like Tai. It would be much better than listening to his stupid sister rant all day about boys.

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!" Jun shrieked.

Just as Davis was about to deliver the final strike that would end the match in his favor, the screen shut off. Jun stood beside the television with the plug in chord in her hand.

"What the hell, Jun?" he cried, upset at having his game cut off. "What did you do that for?"

"I need your complete and undivided attention," she said with her hands on her hips.

A devious smirk slowly rose up Davis' face.

"Imagine how Matt is going to react if I told him about the zit on your chin," he said. "I see him all the time."

Jun gasped, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. "You wouldn't dare tell Matt that!"

"Would I? Or maybe I should tell Matt you also have a big mole on your big butt."

His sister's face turned beet red. "HOW DARE YOU!"

POW! BAM!

Davis picked himself off of the ground and went back to his bedroom. Two large black eyes took up his entire face.

"For a zit, it sure knows how to punch hard," he muttered as he picked up a Naruto manga to read before reclining on his bed.

In the living room, Jun breathed heavily as she came down from her rage. The little mutant was going to pay for saying that. She was going to find out what he and his little friends were up to.

Ever since Tai started "tutoring" Davis, Jun had noticed how secretive her little brother became. When he came back home with bandages around his leg one day, she asked what had happened. After stammering for a few seconds, he said that it was a soccer injury. Jun did not buy that explanation for one second. She was a lot of things, but dumb was not one of them. Something was definitely rotten.

'_And I'm going to find out what it is,' _she thought before walking into her room to put some clothes on.

* * *

"What happened to you, Davis?" TK asked with wide eyes when the burgundy-haired boy met him and the other younger Destined Jedi on the corner just across from Fuji TV station. Two black eyes were on his face.

Davis grunted, "My stupid sister. That's what happened to me, TS."

"What did she do this time?"

"She wouldn't stop bugging me while I was trying to play video games and demanded I care about some stupid zit on her face. Then she punches me for no reason, and now I have two black eyes to compliment the stab in the leg."

"Speaking of which," Kari interrupted. "How's your leg doing?"

Davis beamed confidently. "It's getting much better," he bragged. "I can finally put a good amount of weight on it and not have to limp around. Thankfully Ken didn't stab me all the way through, otherwise I would be on crutches right now. I can go with you guys today."

"One way to find out," TK said. Without warning, he punched Davis on his injured thigh.

Davis grimaced for a second, but his leg held strong.

"What did you do that for?!" he growled.

"There was only one way to test your leg's durability, and that's what it was," TK said with a shrug. "Now that we know your leg can hold up under pressure, we'll let you come with us today."

"Some friend you are," Davis hissed as he walked past the blonde. "Isn't your brother the Jedi of Friendship? You'd think some of that would rub off on you."

TK's eyes narrowed at the boy. He tried to do a simple favor for the group, and Davis had to act like an ungrateful little cretin. He now understood Jun's frustration with him even more.

"I could say the same about you," he bit. "I just don't want you to be a detriment to the group and end up getting yourself killed because you aren't one-hundred percent."

"Oh, so I'm an embarrassment to the Order, is that what you're saying?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all."

"It sure sounded like it!"

"Guys, that's enough!" Kari stepped in to break them up. "Davis, TK is right. If we're going to succeed, we all need to be as strong as possible. You can come with us today, but just be mindful."

Instead of placating him, this only enraged Davis even more.

"Why are you always taking his side, Kari?" he growled.

"Davis-"

"No, why?"

"TK has the group's best interest at heart," Kari stood her ground. "As do I. If my brother were here, he would say the same thing. Since he has a soccer game today, you're going to have to listen to TK when we go. Is that understood?"

Davis and TK glared at each other. Cody and Yolei watched helplessly, unable to do anything about this little squabble.

Davis backed down with a sigh. "For you, Kari, I'll listen."

TK nodded. "Then let's go. Matt is waiting for us."

The group took off across the crosswalk and headed for the warehouse. As they walked by the 7-Eleven convenience store, Jun happened to be walking out the door. A bag full of goodies was wrapped around her right wrist. None of them noticed her, but she noticed them.

'_What are they up to?' _she wondered.

Jun let them get a few feet ahead of her before she resumed walking. Today, she was going to find out what Davis and his little friends were up to and put a stop to it. It was a foggy morning in Odaiba, so it wasn't too hot for early June. The rainy season was coming soon.

Through every corner and turn, Jun continued her pursuit of her brother and his friends as they walked past the Palette Town mall and into the industrial part of the district. She succeeded in staying far enough away that they couldn't sense her presence. Every time one of them turned around, she hid behind whatever was nearby.

Jun suddenly tripped on a curb and hit the ground. The five Jedi instantly turned, but saw nothing.

"What was that?" said TK.

"I thought I just saw –" Davis started to say, but maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. He couldn't sense anything unusual. "Never mind."

"Come on, let's go. Matt's waiting." Cody urged them on.

With one last look back, the group continued their walk to the warehouse. Maybe they were just hearing things. Even so, Davis couldn't help the feeling that something was following them in the shadows.

Jun looked up from her position behind the bushes and exhaled. That was way too close. She was almost found out. What were her brother and his friends doing with Matt? She took a deep breath and let it out with determination. It didn't matter if she still had that pimple on her chin. Wherever Matt was, she would be as well.

'_I'm coming, Matt. Ready or not.' _

She continued following the younger Jedi until they reached a warehouse. As they went inside, she waited a few seconds before stepping towards the entrance.

"Excuse me," a man's voice called out to her. "Could you give me a hand with this?"

Jun turned and saw the source of the voice. A young man with black hair who was loading some heavy boxes into a truck. Jun had to admit that he was cute, but she didn't have time for this. She had to find out what her brother and his friends were up to.

"Sorry, but I have somewhere to be right now," she replied before continuing her walk.

"Please? These are really heavy just for me to lift alone. It wouldn't take more than a moment of your time."

Jun sighed. It didn't seem like Davis was going anywhere for the time being, so a moment wasn't going to cost her anything.

"Alright," she conceded as she walked over to help the young man.

'_You guys owe me big time,' _Daigo Nishijima thought as he and Jun lifted up a box off the pavement and into the truck.

* * *

As the group got inside, Matt stood waiting in the computer room with Izzy. Mimi and Joe couldn't come because they all had their responsibilities with school, and Tai and Sora had soccer games that day. It would just be the two of them accompanying the younger kids.

"I'm not sure it's the best idea, Izzy. What if it doesn't work?" Matt spoke in a hushed voice.

"It has to work, Matt," Izzy replied. "I've run all the calculations, and I've found that everything should run as it should. Ken is not going to know what hit him today."

Matt's face twitched for a second. "That little punk is going to get what's coming to him one of these days," he hissed. "I can't stand that stupid smirk on his face any longer. Oh, hey guys."

The two ceased their conversation as the younger Destined Jedi walked into the computer room. TK noticed the way his brother and Izzy were huddled around each other.

"Did we interrupt something?" he asked.

"No," Matt forced a smile. "Izzy was just telling me about his new idea."

"New idea? What is it?" Yolei demanded with wide eyes. Whenever Izzy got an idea about something, she always got excited because it was usually a good one.

"I'll tell you all later."

Everyone did an anime fall.

"Izzy!" Yolei glared at Izzy for getting her hopes up.

"Sorry, guys, but we have to get going. There'll be plenty of time to talk about all this later."

The group gathered around the computer. Cody used the Force to open the gate and they all disappeared in the familiar flash of light.

On the other side of the warehouse, Jun walked inside and was struck by the massive size of the complex.

"Wow," she breathed, her mouth agape.

* * *

A crisp, cool ocean breeze hit the Destined Jedi's faces as they emerged from the Digital Gate. Fog shrouded the entire beach in a blanket of mystery. The waves crashed on the shore. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, there was a sense of foreboding that the Jedi couldn't escape.

"It's quiet," Matt noted, looking around at the cliffs behind them.

"Too quiet," TK agreed.

"We must be very cautious," Izzy added as the group moved trepidly across the beach. They shook out their sandals to get rid of any sand that got into them. Nothing happened as they moved off the beach and into the forest.

The humidity made the air in the forest feel so close to the ground. The fresh smell of rain and wet grass blasted their noses like a punch. The air was still as the Destined Jedi glided quietly over the forest floor like ghosts, afraid to make a single sound.

No one sensed anything threatening nearby, or even caught a sniff of the Digimon Emperor. Nevertheless, something was out there. They could sense it.

"Are you sure this is where he's at, Izzy?" Matt whispered, afraid to raise his voice lest he let whatever was out there know they were there.

"This was Ken's last position. I'm sure of it," Izzy replied. But then he conceded, "Though there may have been some miscalculations."

"Oh, now you tell us!" Matt hissed.

"Quiet!" TK quieted them both. Something was up ahead.

The younger blonde Jedi pulled the foliage aside, opening out to a wide clearing. The fog receded just a little bit to reveal something else. Something that caused the Destined Jedi to gape in awe.

A large, black column made of granite towered over the entire forest. It was at least thirty feet tall, and hovered over them like an unstoppable giant.

"What is that?" Davis breathed with wide eyes.

Suddenly, the Jedi felt like something inside them was turned off like a light. Davis tried twisting a tree branch off, but it barely moved an inch. His symbol did not glow. Cody, Yolei, and TK and Kari all tried, but nothing worked.

"Something is blocking your powers," Izzy said. He looked up at the large behemoth in front of them. "And I think this dark tower is the cause of it."

From the trees, a familiar voice cackled, "Well, well, well. Leave it to you, Izzy, to figure it out."

The Jedi swiftly activated their lightsabers as Ken stood on a tree branch above them. The Digimon Emperor jumped down from the branch, but did not unleash his lightsaber.

"Don't worry," he said. "I have not come to fight. I just want to talk." He made a sideways glance at Davis. "Hi, Davis. How's the leg?"

"Better now that I'm about to exact its revenge," the boy shot back as he took a step toward Ken, but TK held him back.

The Emperor snickered. "Defiant to the last, aren't you? Not that I'm surprised since you're learning under Tai Kamiya. He was just as bad, if not worse way back then. Isn't that right, Matt?"

Matt and Izzy hated to agree with him, but what he said was absolutely true. Even so, the blonde-haired Jedi did not give Ken the satisfaction of an affirmative answer. The glare on his face never left.

"It's okay," Ken sneered. "You already gave me your answer."

Davis growled through his tightly clenched teeth. He wasn't going to let anyone get away with insulting Tai no matter how much what he said was true.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

No one could stop the boy as he leapt straight for the Emperor to punch his lights out. Ken telegraphed the move by sidestepping the punch and kicked Davis on the leg right where he sank his lightsaber. Davis grunted in pain and fell to the ground.

He chuckled. "Really, Davis? You honestly think something like that is going to work on me?"

Davis hissed through the pain in his leg. Okay, maybe it wasn't as fully healed as he thought it was, but he wasn't going to let it keep him down. Not when he had to defend Tai's honor.

"It was certainly worth a try," he replied before adding with a smirk, "_Ūryu." _

Ken's eye twitched. His face turned a pale shade of red as he shook with anger.

"What…did you just call me?" he hissed with venom.

Davis' grin grew wider. He had found Ken's weak spot.

"That's right, Ūryu. What's the matter, Ūryu? Cat get your tongue, Ūryu?"

"Do you really think it's wise to antagonize him?" Yolei watched nervously as Ken started looking like a human volcano that was threatening to blow at any second.

He then blew with earth-shattering power.

"YOU STUPID INSECT!" he screamed. "YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!"

Ken raised his hand and slammed it down on the ground. The earth beneath the Jedi rumbled like a powerful earthquake before breaking off into large sections. Izzy and Matt were on one, Cody and Yolei on another, Kari was all by herself, and TK and Davis were together.

"Stay together!" Matt cried as everything went hazy.

* * *

TK felt a large bump on his head as he slowly came back to consciousness. The ground had stopped shaking, and he was on stable ground. His blue eyes fluttered open as he sat up. The sky had cleared above him, revealing blue skies without a cloud in sight. He couldn't sense anything around him, meaning his Force powers were still blocked by that dark tower.

Large, green hedges surrounded him like he was in an English garden, if he were to go by any of the pictures he had seen of them. The leaves were trimmed neatly, but still prickly like the quills on a porcupine.

"Matt?" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the noise. "Izzy? Yolei? Cody? Kari?"

"Will you shut up?" A groan beside him took his attention away. "No one can hear you, TG."

TK frowned as he shot a glare in the direction of the voice.

"Well then, why don't you do something about it, Davis?" he bit. He slapped a hand to his face and rubbed it in exasperation. Of all the people to get stuck with, it had to be Davis.

"I would, but we can't use the Force right now. I say we find that spire and destroy it so we can even the playing field with Ken."

"Okay, but where should we go?"

"Beats the heck out of me," Davis shrugged. "Let's go this way."

He walked to the side, but came to a dead end. He tried the other way, but was met with the same results. TK chuckled.

"Need some help?"

Davis shot a glare his way. "As if I'd ever ask you for help. I know where I'm going, but this place is like a maze."

It finally clicked with TK. When Ken caused the earth to contort and separate, he intended to separate the Jedi from each other. And what better way to do that than put them all in a maze? The only question was how long and wide the maze was, and where the other Jedi were.

"Just like the maze in the Alice in Wonderland stories," he murmured.

"What was that?" Davis asked.

"This maze," TK explained. "This is another one of Ken's creations to throw us off. Because the Dark Tower doesn't allow us to use the Force, we can still depend on it to guide us to everyone."

Davis blinked as he looked around the tall hedges. "Man, he is obsessed with these fairylands, I'll tell you that."

"Which makes it easier for us to guess his game," TK said. "Now, in order to get out of this maze, we're going to have to work together."

Davis chuckled. "Yeah, that's a real laugh, TA. Never in a million years."

TK's mood grew even darker. "This isn't a game, Davis! We could be trapped here forever and be Ken's little toys to play with for the rest of our lives. Do you want that kind of fate? I don't."

That shut the burgundy-haired boy up real quick. If he were stuck in the maze forever, it meant he would never get to see Kari again. That, and he didn't want to be with TK for the rest of their natural lives.

"That would suck," he shrugged.

"Then that is all you need to see why we need to find a way out," TK rubbed him on the shoulder. "I don't care if you like me or hate my guts, but the Digital World is depending on us. Think about this, Davis: What would Tai do in this situation?"

After a long pause to think, Davis replied, "He would do everything possible to finish the mission."

"Exactly. Now, come on."

As the two Jedi proceeded through the maze, they didn't sense the figure watching from on top of a hill far above the miles-wide maze, licking his lips like a predator stalking his prey.

"Let the games begin," Ken snickered.

* * *

The large, dark spire loomed in the distance, almost as if teasing the two Jedi about how powerless they were with it in existence. It didn't look that far to TK, but it would feel like an eternity if he and Davis didn't navigate the maze correctly.

The hedges grew thicker and thicker as the two Jedi continued their trek in finding a way out.

Davis frowned at the spire in the distance.

"Do you have the feeling it's laughing at us?" he asked. "Like it's going 'Ha! You stupid Jedi will never reach me. You'll be stuck here forever.'"

TK exhaled sharply. "Nice to know you're maintaining a positive attitude," he grumbled. "Why don't you just stay quiet for a little while?"

Davis glared at him.

"Why should I? Man, TS, you sure have a lot of things to learn about friendship."

He ran into TK's back and fell to the ground.

"Why'd you stop?" he demanded, rubbing his nose.

TK slowly turned to face him. A dark glare shrouded his face in annoyance. Davis felt chills run down his spine at how dark it was. He had never seen that look before on TK, and wasn't sure he liked it.

"There is a lot more to friendship than you think, Davis," the blonde-haired boy hissed. "Friendship isn't just being buddy-buddy with everyone. Friendship is sometimes having to do things for your friends that you may not be comfortable doing. Matt learned that a long time ago when he and Joe were stuck at Digitamamon's diner. They slaved away for two months, even though Matt wanted to go back to the amusement park he left me at and get me. He wasn't going to let Joe drown on his own."

Davis sat quietly as he listened to TK's tale. He hadn't heard this story before, so it was a first for him.

"Eventually, Tai and I found them, but Matt didn't want to go anywhere with Joe because of all the trouble he had put them through. He Force choked Joe out of anger. We battled Digitamamon and Vegimon, who was holding me hostage. Despite everything Matt had said to him, Joe risked everything to save me. He was willing to die for it. Realizing that Joe still risked his neck for me, even after what he had done to him, Matt discovered what true friendship was."

Davis' eyes were wide in fascination. His jaw was slacked. Normally, he would not have believed something like that, but since he became a Destined Jedi, he was ready to believe anything.

"Did that really happen?" he breathed.

TK nodded. "Of course it happened. I saw it." He closed his eyes and took a breath. "My point here is sometimes friendship is not a smooth sail around the world. There are rough points, there are harsh storms, and there are rough waves. But as long as you never abandon your friends, you will always have friendship."

Davis took a moment to soak all of that information in. For most of his life, he was just the goofball in the crowd; the one that gave everyone a good laugh. Even so, he never had very many friends. Kari and Tai accepted him for who he was, even when everyone else got agitated with him. Now, he had even more friends since becoming a Destined Jedi. Sure, he argued with almost everyone at some point, but he would sacrifice anything for them.

"I guess that makes sense," he said.

"You'll see what I'm talking about at some point," TK said. "Now, come on. Let's go."

The two walked on in silence for a good while. Davis reflected on TK's words the whole time. The blonde-haired Jedi was a lot of things, but he sure knew what to say at the right time. Maybe he was right.

'_Nah,' _Davis shook his head. _'What does he know anyway? I'm not even sure he knows what it's like to not have friends.' _

The fog returned ten minutes into their walk, thicker than before. They could hardly see each other, much less anything else in front of them.

"TK, you still there?" Davis shouted through the fog.

"Ow! Davis, I'm right here!" TK shot him a death glare, which the burgundy-haired Jedi couldn't see.

"Where's right here?"

"Beside you!"

Davis reached out to his side and came in contact with TK's wrist. The blonde-haired boy shrieked briefly, but when he recognized the hand, he relaxed. Davis couldn't contain his laughter.

"Don't do that!" TK glared and smacked him upside the head.

"I'm sorry," Davis gasped through his laughter. "You screamed like a little girl, TE."

"Shut up! Now is not the time for jokes. We have to get out of here."

"This is the perfect time for jokes. If we're gonna be stuck here forever, I need to know what buttons to push."

A terrified scream rang out somewhere in the distance. The two Jedi stopped right where they were, recognizing the scream.

"Kari!" TK gasped before he took off running.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Davis cried as he followed TK's silhouette.

The many twists and turns of the maze all started becoming the same as the Jedi of Hope and Courage and Friendship ran for the source of the scream. Davis sensed that something was not right, but his determination to rescue Kari outweighed any other concerns he had.

'_I swear to God, if Ken has hurt her, I'm going to rip him apart until his insides are out.' _Davis thought through gritted teeth as he pushed on, following the silhouette of TK's feet up ahead of him.

All of a sudden, it sounded like there was only one pair of feet running against the ground instead of two. The wind blew fiercely, drowning out any other noise, so Davis thought it was because of that he only heard his feet instead of both his and TK's.

The hedges stopped after a few yards. The plain was wide open, shrouded completely in fog. Davis swallowed his fear and stepped forward with his hand out, in case he ran into a hedge. Then he realized, the Force was faintly telling him that something was nearby.

_Pshew! _

A bright blue lightsaber cut through the fog. Davis turned sharply and relaxed a bit.

"Oh, good," he sighed. "I thought for a moment something happened to you, TK. What do we do now?"

An arm wrapped around his throat and held him tightly against a solid body.

"How about die?" the voice behind him hissed.

Davis' eyes widened. It wasn't TK. It was Ken.

"Ken," he choked out. "What have you done with TK?"

Davis felt something wet flick against his ear as Ken whispered, "You're not asking the right question, Davis. It's not just what I may have done to TK, but to your other friends as well."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh yeah?" Ken shot as he cleared the fog with one swipe of his hand, revealing the blue sky above them. The dark spire jutted out of the ground in front of them, and over to the side was something Davis couldn't believe.

All six Jedi were dangled along the hedges behind him with yellow appendages wrapped tightly around their necks. Six Vegimon stared down in sadistic hunger as their captives struggled to breath against the noose.

"Let them go!" Davis demanded, thrashing in Ken's grip. The Digimon Emperor held his ground and wrapped his arm tighter around the boy's skinny neck.

"You are in a position unsuited to give orders, Davis," Ken shot back. "Give yourself to me, and I'll let your friends go." He grinned. "Or continue to be defiant, and watch them all die in front of you."

"How do I know this isn't some trick like what you did last time?"

"It's not a trick, Davis!" TK choked out. "It's really us! Stop him! GULP!" The yellow appendage around his neck tightened even more, cutting off his words.

"Davis!" Kari cried.

Davis was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to do. Despite his situation, he was more worried about what his friends were going through. If he didn't find a way out of this, they were all going to die. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened.

"Tick tock, Davis. Time's a-wasting."

Tears prickled Davis' eyes as he shut them closed. It seemed hopeless.

Matt screamed at him, "Don't just give up on yourself, Davis! If you give up on yourself, you give up on your friends. Those who really care about you! You can't just give up now! Show this little punk what true friendship is!"

"Shut up!" Ken roared. "Vegimon, kill them now!"

Davis felt incredible strength boiling inside of him. That little pep talk from Matt was exactly what he needed.

'_I will not abandon my friends!' _

A bright blue light erupted from his wrist. Ken was so close to it that it blinded him for a few seconds. That little release gave Davis the chance he needed to escape. It felt like a dam burst inside of him as all of his appendages moved at the speed of sound. His forearm collided with Ken's face. His foot stomped on the Emperor's.

Ken cried out in pain as he finally let Davis go with a look of shock on his face. His nose bled a little from the right nostril.

"How is this possible?" he gasped. "The Dark Tower should suppress your Force powers."

Davis smirked. "Looks like there's something you didn't count on, Ken. The power of friendship. That is something you will never understand."

Before Ken could stop him, Davis activated his lightsaber and leapt for the Dark Tower. He made a large slice into the base of the behemoth, tipping it away from him. Ken watched in horror as the spire toppled over and crashed to the ground.

Four flashes of light emerged from Cody, Yolei, Kari, and TK. Their powers had returned.

TK grabbed the appendage dangling above him and pulled the Vegimon holding him captive down to the ground. The vegetable Digimon let go, letting air rush through TK's lungs. He cut the other Jedi free by slicing through the arms of the other Vegimon. The creatures roared in pain as the Jedi fell to the ground before being blasted away by a powerful Force wave.

Ken looked around and realized the Jedi had him surrounded on all sides. But like a cornered animal, he was not going to go down without a fight. When Matt came charging at him, the boy flipped him over with a hip toss. Cody had a try at him, but Ken kicked him in the stomach and slammed the back of his fist against his face.

"Ken!" Davis roared as the two slammed their lightsabers together. He used his newfound speed attacks to punch Ken in the face before the Emperor could block it then kick him in the face.

Ken growled in frustration. This was not going the way he anticipated it would. His brilliant plan to stop the Jedi had failed.

"It's over, Ken," said Izzy. "Come back with us, and maybe we can help you."

The Emperor pushed himself up from the ground and turned to glare at the Jedi.

"I don't need your help!" he roared before a bright speck of light erupted from him. "I want you all to die! I will always be the master of this game, and none of you will stop me!"

The energy he built up was so powerful that it couldn't be contained any longer. With a loud cry, Ken thrust his arms out and blew everything nearby back ten feet. The Jedi went flying into the hedges while Davis collided with the crumbled remains of the Dark Tower.

The light dissipated, and once the Jedi could finally see, they saw Ken was gone.

Davis pounded the ground in frustration. "No! Ken, come back here!" he roared.

"Easy, Davis," Matt eased him. "Ken will always run when things get tough. He's a coward."

Yolei was about to say something, but Ken's last words to them struck her.

"Didn't he say that he would always be the 'master of this game'?" she asked. "What did he mean by that?"

"Maybe he meant he would always be the master of the game between us and him," Cody suggested. "He knows we are operating at a disadvantage because he lives here full time now, whereas we don't."

"Then we just have to be better at this game than he is," Davis said with a clenched fist.

* * *

The Destined Jedi emerged from the computer landing on their feet this time. After so many times of crashing in a heap in the computer lab, they had mastered the return.

"I'll send out a full report to the others as soon as I can," said Izzy. "Now that we know Ken is ramping things up, we all need to be involved as much as we can. No more games."

"That's right, Izzy," Matt agreed with a nod. "I'm getting tired of this little punk and that stupid little smirk of his. My band can come later, but we have to take this guy down."

TK smiled. Things would be much easier with the rest of the Jedi in tow. It would level the playing field they were on.

"Sounds good," he said. "We can use all the help."

"There you are, Matt!"

The gang screamed as an unwanted face stood at the entrance to the computer room. Matt quaked in fear and wanted to run as far away as possible. Davis felt the same way.

"Jun!" he growled. "I knew that was you following us! What are you doing here?!"

Jun huffed and turned her nose up to the side. "I was curious what you were all doing walking out to a place like this. I was just being a concerned sister and wanted to make sure you were doing nothing bad."

"Well, I'm not!" Davis shot back. "Now leave!"

But Jun paid him no attention. She looked around in amazement at the scale of the electronics in the room.

"What do you guys do here?" she asked. "This some kind of gaming setup?"

Yolei answered before anyone else could. "You could say that," she said. "We're all into playing that new Halo game that came out, so we wanted a place where we could game with each other."

Jun frowned. "Sounds boring," she answered before setting her sights back on the blonde-haired musician. "As for you, Matt. I'm done playing games."

Before anyone could do anything, Jun rushed forward and hugged him around the waist. Matt squeaked and tried in vain to pry her arms off of him. He then pushed against her face, but she was like a magnet and would not let go.

"Get off me!" he cried.

"Not until you take me out on another date, handsome," she said happily, not minding him pushing her face away. "We had such a great time last date."

"I didn't!" he protested.

"Come on," she pulled his arm towards the door. Matt tried dragging his feet, but Jun was stronger than she looked. "We're going on a date to Aqua City. You owe me an ice cream after last time."

"Guys, help me!" Matt cried, pleading for the other Jedi to help him.

TK smirked. "Sorry, bro. You're on your own. Have fun on your date."

"TK!" Matt screamed as he was pulled out the door.

* * *

Ken typed fiercely on the monitor. On the screen, all of his prototypes for the Dark Towers were slowly being destroyed. In big red letters, the message '_Program Cancelled' _flashed across the screen.

"This was a complete failure," he muttered. "I should have known that Davis would find a way to break through its power. If he can do it, there is no reason to believe any one of them can't as well."

Once all the Dark Tower prototypes had been destroyed, he pulled up another page. The profiles of all the Destined Jedi, with all of the research he had conducted, flashed on the screen. He clicked on Kari's file and stared in lustful glee.

"Looks like I have no other choice," he hissed. "I'm going to have to pull more drastic measures. And I will start with you, Kari, my precious little flower. Soon, you will know what it is like to be humiliated."

Ken swiftly turned. That presence. It had returned.

"Who is it?" he shouted. "Show yourself! If you won't, haunt me no longer, stupid presence! You will not mess with my mind today!"

But nothing came out of the darkness. It was as quiet and still as the moment Ken had come to the Digital World. Nevertheless, something was definitely hiding in the shadows.

"Go back to the shadow and stay there forever!"

He stormed out of the computer room.

* * *

**What does Ken have planned for Kari? Is he really losing his mind? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Once again, Ken's little plans go awry. I brought in the Dark Towers for another purpose, but it'll be just for this one chapter. Since the older Jedi don't have their Force powers, it isn't practical for them to be Ken's go-to thing to keep them down. And now Davis has a new nickname for him XD That'll be something that keeps going through much of the story. Things are getting serious now. You will not want to miss what is next. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe. I would love to hear all of your thoughts about things so far. **

**I'll see you guys next week ;-)**


	13. Darkened Light

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes it is. And it's only going to get more dangerous. **

**Lord Jaric: You'll see that soon. **

**Music Chick: So much excitement! **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Tell me about it. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Like we said in our chat, Uryu is a character from Bleach. He kinda looks like an older version of Ken with glasses and his hair changed. Not to mention that Derek Stephen Prince voices them both. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: I'm glad you like it. Like Ken said a couple chapters ago, he loves the Alice in Wonderland stories, so he sees the Digital World as his little Wonderland.**

* * *

**Updating right on time today! Hope you guys had a great week, because this is where Ken really starts to cross the line. There is also some drama between TK and Kari that may just affect their relationship. We will see. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter.**

* * *

"TAIIIIII!"

Kari shot up from her bed with a scream. A cold sweat dotted her brow and her eyes were wide with terror. She glanced at the clock.

_1:29 a.m. _

Kari breathed heavily until finally getting it under control. The nightmare had frightened her so out of her wits that she forgot where she was for a second. She expected her brother to be right there with her, but he wasn't.

She looked around the still darkness of her room with fear, wondering if something would jump out from a dark corner at any second. Kari panted silently to regain control of her emotions, but the dream still lingered on her mind.

This had been happening for the past two weeks. Every night, she saw a vision of her being kidnapped by the Digimon Emperor and none of her friends did anything to help her. At first, she had simply dismissed it as a dream, but after a week straight of it happening, Kari realized that the Force must be trying to tell her something. Like a vision of events to come.

The Jedi of Light took a deep breath and got a grip on herself before tucking herself under the covers. Her pink silk pajamas provided a cool contrast between the warm sheets underneath the comforter and herself. Her head fell against the pillow and she settled in to fall asleep. She would ask Tai in the morning about these visions.

* * *

"Visions, huh?" Tai asked with wide eyes as he and Kari sat on the floor across from each other the next morning. She had just told him everything about these visions she had been having. It sounded just like what he went through when he had visions of the future.

"Yeah," Kari nodded.

"What have they been of? Explain them to me."

Kari took a deep breath as she recounted her visions. The hot desert air could almost be felt on her skin, even though it was just the air conditioning.

"I'm in a desert with all of you, and we were saving some Digimon from the Emperor," she said. "But then the Emperor takes me prisoner, and none of you even try to help me. You just stand there, as if letting it happen. I'm screaming out for you, but you guys don't hear me."

Tai ran his index finger along his chin in thought.

"I see," he muttered.

The two sat in uncomfortable silence for several moments. Kari fidgeted as her brother gazed at her the entire time. He was making her nervous with that look. It was like whenever she got into mischief as a young child, and he would scold her for doing it.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Tai finally said. "You've always been more in tune with the Force than the rest of us. But you have to be careful when sensing the future, Kari. The fear of loss or events to come can lead you down a dark path." His eyes glazed over as he went deep in thought. "I had visions like the ones you are experiencing. I knew something bad was going to happen in our world, and it did, but I didn't let the fear control me."

"But what if it does happen?" Kari asked.

"Then the Force willed it to happen," Tai assured her. "Some things are out of our control, but it is how we respond to them when the time comes that shows us what we are made of."

The two Jedi stood up with Tai wrapping his sister in a tight hug. His scent filled Kari's nose, providing warmth and comfort for her unsettled mind.

"I would never let anything happen to you, Kari," he whispered. "That's a promise."

Kari smiled softly and nodded.

Tai returned her smile and kissed her on the forehead.

"Let's go, kids!" their mother cried from the other room. "You don't want to be late for school!"

"Okay, Mom," the siblings replied.

They grabbed their school things and ran out the door.

* * *

TK had a rough morning. When he woke up, he felt a disturbance in the Force. Kari was in distress, and he wanted to know why. He had trouble sleeping last night, and so felt a bit more tired than usual. It didn't help that it was now their math lesson. He hated math.

As their teacher droned on and on about an equation, the Jedi of Hope couldn't keep his eyes off Kari, who was a few seats down the next row from him.

Over the last two weeks, he noticed something was wrong with her. She looked tired during the day, dark circles under her eyes, and she always seemed to be lost in thought. Today was no different as she looked down at her desk with a lost look in her eyes.

Kari looked over at him, sensing his eyes lingering on her, but TK turned away to look out the window. A light shade of pink spread across his cheeks. Now it was even too nerve-wracking to look at her. What was wrong with him?

Davis sensed something was off and turned around in his seat to look behind him at his fellow Jedi. His eyes flickered over to Kari and saw the lost look in her eyes, growing concerned by the moment. During their training sessions together over the last two weeks, he noticed something was off about her. She wasn't as sharp in her training as she usually was. He got the upper hand in their sparring matches at the dojo, and meditated longer than her, which never happened at all. He was going to ask her about it at some point that day. This was too sudden a change not to warrant a meeting. He turned back to the front to pay attention to the lesson.

"KARI!"

The entire class turned at the scream. The teacher stopped his lesson and also looked in the direction of Kari's desk. The girl seated behind her was keeping the Jedi of Light upright as best she could, but Kari looked like she had fainted.

"Is everything okay back there?" the teacher asked. "Do you need to go to the nurse's office, Kari?"

The girl nodded weakly. "Yes, sir," she said before getting up and walking out of the classroom.

"As I was saying," the teacher said as he went back to his lesson.

Davis and TK made eye contact and communicated through the Force.

"_What do you think is up with her?" _Davis asked.

"_I don't know," _TK replied. _"She's been weird like this all morning. I mean, she's been weird for the last little while, but today it's even more so." _

"_Want me to take care of it?" _

"_That's okay. I'll go talk to her." _TK ended their connection and stood up. "Excuse me, sir, is it okay if I go check on Kari?"

"Certainly, Mr. Takaishi," the man nodded. "As her friend, I can understand your concern. You may proceed."

"Thank you, sir."

TK made his way out of the room, thankful to escape that boring math lesson just for a few moments. He used the Force to pick up Kari's trail and walked down to the nurse's office. He was either going to get what was wrong with her out willingly or he was going to forcefully extract it out of her. He didn't want to, but she was acting too weird lately.

TK burst through the door once he reached the nurse's office.

"Excuse me, nurse. Is Kari here?" he asked out of breath. He looked around the office, but didn't see any trace of the Jedi of Light.

The nurse shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, TK, but Kari never showed up. Is everything okay?"

TK stomped his foot against the ground. He didn't have time for niceties. He had to find Kari.

"No, that's okay," he replied. "Thank you."

'_Where could she be?' _

TK closed his eyes and zeroed in on her Force energy, but he felt something pushing him back. When one wall was broken down, another was there to stop him right in his tracks. It was like Kari didn't want him to find her.

The Jedi of Hope growled in frustration and wandered all around the school in search for the girl. He even went so far as to check the girl's bathroom for her. TK got a slap on the face for it, but he didn't care. He had to find Kari. The library and stairwells also proved to be fruitless searches.

His concern rose with every place he went to that she wasn't. What if this was much more serious than Kari was letting on? Like maybe she was in danger from herself instead of some external force. He couldn't bear the thought of her being in such emotional turmoil.

Kari was the light that kept everyone going through the difficult times. When the Destined Jedi fought Piedmon, he fought with every last bit of his strength to protect her from the deranged clown turning her into a key chain. His own life didn't matter as much as hers. Her light was something that needed to be preserved at all cost. Without it, they were all lost. _He _was lost. Hope and light went hand-in-hand with each other; without one, the other was not nearly as strong.

"KARI!" he finally yelled down a hallway.

TK was ready to give up. It was like Kari had vanished off the face of the earth. He would never forgive himself if something horrible happened to her. Not to mention Tai would rip him limb from limb.

He sighed and moped back down the hallway with his head down. He was probably never going to find her at this point.

He glanced out the window of the glass-covered walkway for just one second. Something pink was sitting out on a bench in the courtyard. TK did a double take and realized it was Kari. He sighed in relief and went for the stairwell that led downstairs.

The breeze coming off of Tokyo Bay blew through Kari's hair as she sat on the bench. Nearby, a couple of boys were kicking a soccer ball around.

For a moment in the classroom, she thought she was stranded in the middle of a dark room. It was so cold, and so dark. She was screaming for her friends to help her, but no one was around to help. Then, there was this horrible, twisted laughter. It seemed familiar, but Kari snapped out of it before anything else could happen.

"Kari!"

The Jedi of Light jolted back to reality and looked up at the familiar face that had joined her.

"Oh, hi, TK," she mumbled.

"What happened back there?" the boy asked with genuine concern. "You gave all of us quite a scare. When you weren't in the nurse's office, I thought something might have happened to you. What's the matter?"

"It's nothing."

"No, don't give me that! If that was true, then why block me from trying to find you with the Force?"

Kari scoffed. "It's no big deal. I just needed some fresh air."

"I may not have your gift to read minds, but I've always been able to tell when something's been bothering you," TK shot back. He added quietly, "Though I wish I did, so that way I can help."

The air fell still for a few short moments, sensing the tension brewing between the two Jedi.

Kari stared at the ground with sullenness as she mumbled, "I've…" she took a breath, shutting her eyes tight, "been having visions."

TK raised an eyebrow. "Visions? What kind of visions?" He sat next to her with concern. "Are they like the ones Tai had when we were training with Gennai?"

Kari slowly nodded her head. "I keep seeing a vision of me being kidnapped by someone in a desert. I talked to Tai about it, but he said to just let things play out. He also said that the Force wills things to happen. I don't know what to do."

TK folded his arms across his chest.

"So that's it?" he asked. "You're just going to let this happen when it happens?"

"I don't know if I have much of a choice, TK," Kari replied. "I'm not as strong as Tai, where I can prevent things from happening. If this is the Force's will, like Tai said, then who am I to try and stop it? Tai's always known best, and I, um," she bit her lip, then said the rest as if more to convince herself, "I'll have to trust that everything works out."

TK was shocked. Kari was just giving up? She was just going to let Tai dictate everything and base her decisions on what he decided? He respected Tai as their leader, and saw him as an important person in his life, but there were times Kari should take charge of the situation herself.

"Don't you understand, Kari? You don't need Tai to be with you all the time!" he raised his voice in frustration. "The problem with you, Kari, is that you rely too much on others for strength. It's always about Tai, like no one else compares to him."

"TK-" Kari wanted to interrupt, hurt and surprised by his rant, but the boy didn't let her get an edge.

"No! This conversation needs to happen now." TK stood to his feet again with urgency. "What about me? Who was it that kept you safe from Piedmon? Me. Who killed him? Me. You have other friends that are willing to stick their necks out for you, Kari! I've either kept you out of trouble, or bailed you out of it so many times that I can't even count. You have other people that love you: I'm one of them. I care so much about you that I would rather die than let anything happen to you."

TK kicked himself mentally for saying that last sentence. Now she probably was aware of his true feelings. His cheeks broke out in a blush.

Kari's jaw slightly dropped, eyes widened in shock, as she stared at her best friend.

'_Way to go, TK,' _he blocked Kari out from his thoughts so she couldn't hear them. _'Now she thinks you're a total dweeb.' _

Kari let out a sharp breath through her nose with a quick shake of the head, while her gaze returned to the ground. "TK, you've lived without Matt since your parents divorced when you were four. You don't know what it's like to have someone always be there for you when you need them. I trust Tai."

A heavy silence filled the air as TK's head drooped down. Maybe she didn't feel the same way about him as he did about her after all. It wasn't his plan to confess that day, but he practically laid it all out, and she dismissed it like it was an everyday question.

TK's attempt to hide the hurt by taking hold of his hat failed as he twisted it. The goggles almost fell, but held on to the material. "Matt may not live with me like Tai does with you, but he's everything like Tai, and more. One phone call is all it takes, and he's there for me."

"Wait, TK," she tried to quickly apologize by standing on her feet to reach out to him, but it was useless.

"Save it," he spat, quickly stepping away. "I thought best friends rely on each other, but it's obvious that I'm still just that little boy you knew a long time ago, and that is all I'll ever be. I'll see you around."

Without even glancing back at her, TK took off back inside the school.

Kari sat back down on the bench with a slouch, feeling worse than she already had. There was nothing wrong with depending only on her brother for strength. Tai had proved himself time and time again as someone who was always there for her when she needed it. Best friend or not, TK was wrong, and she would prove it by following her brother's advice.

* * *

Davis slurped his noodles as he, Cody, and Yolei ate lunch on the roof of the school. He informed his fellow Jedi about the situation with Kari, and they both expressed concern for the Jedi of Light.

"I hope she's not sick with something," Yolei said between bites of her plum onigiri. "Now is really not a good time for any of us to get sick."

"I think it's more than that, Yolei," said Cody. "Have you seen her lately? She hasn't been acting like herself. I think something may be bothering her."

"Like what?" Davis asked.

Before Cody could finish his thought, TK came through the door and walked over to the three of them, carrying his bento box in a bright yellow handkerchief. Without so much as a word of greeting to them, he plopped down beside Davis and opened his lunch.

"Did you talk to her, TK?" Davis immediately said. "What was wrong?"

TK sighed before answering. "She says she's been having visions of the future. Something about a desert and being kidnapped."

The three Jedi's eyes widened and their jaws became slack.

"Is that even possible?" Davis asked.

"Yes, it is possible," Cody nodded. "Remember, I can see the end result of things before they can happen after I've gathered all the information I need."

"Okay, then tell me what I'm going to have for dinner later," Davis smirked at him. "Ramen or something from the conbini?"

Cody shut his eyes and concentrated hard. The purple light of the symbol of Knowledge glowed for a brief moment before the boy opened his eyes.

"Sukiyaki," he said. "There will also be green tea, tofu, and pickled vegetables."

"I'm holding you to that, Cody. If you're wrong, you owe me a matcha Kit Kat tomorrow."

"Deal," the boy countered. "But when I'm right, you buy me an ice cream. Matcha-flavored."

"You're on."

TK slapped his hand to his face. This was getting off the rails. "Can we please just get back on topic?"

"Don't worry about it, amigo," Davis assured him. "Whatever happens, we won't let anything happen to Kari. Ken's not going to get his dirty hands on her."

'_I wish I had your confidence, Davis,' _TK thought as he started eating his lunch.

* * *

The rest of school passed by without much incident. Kari refused to speak to TK after their argument, her mental wall never breaking down in the slightest to let him figure out what was wrong. She didn't even open up to Davis, which had both male Jedi concerned for her wellbeing.

The Jedi of Hope took off his school slippers and put his regular tennis shoes on at his locker, reflecting on what he said to Kari. He didn't mean to be so harsh with her, but she had to know the truth. How could they all trust each other if they couldn't be open about things?

"Hey, everything alright?" Davis tapped him on the shoulder.

TK pulled his head out of his locker and turned. The burgundy-haired Jedi looked at him worriedly. Throughout their time together, he had never seen TK like this before. Whatever happened between him and Kari must have really bothered him.

"Yeah," TK nodded, shrugging it off with the happy-go-lucky mask he wore. "It's all good. It's good."

Davis didn't buy it. "Your thoughts betray you, TK," he said. "Come on, tell me. I need to know you'll be alright for when we go to the Digital World later. We don't want our leader to be distracted."

TK looked across the way and caught a glimpse of Kari talking to a few girls. That emptiness he felt after she had dismissed his "confession" returned. He could hardly look at her without remembering what he said to her. She probably hated him now.

He sighed. "Roger. You don't have to worry about me, Davis. I'll be ready."

Davis patted him on the shoulder. "Good." He smirked. "Now let's go give Ken some more hell today. I wonder what he's going to do next when we foil his little plans. Maybe he might throw a giant temper tantrum as we kick his butt all over the Digital World."

That earned a much-needed laugh from TK. He needed to laugh after what happened earlier. "You got it."

After he finished putting his shoes on, he and Davis walked out of school together. Cody and Yolei joined them around the corner a few moments later.

"Where's Kari?" Cody asked. "I thought we were all going to headquarters together."

"I'm here." Kari mumbled, rounding the corner and joining them while still looking down at the ground. She consciously avoided looking in TK's direction, and the blonde-haired Jedi did the same.

Their teammates sensed the uneasy atmosphere.

"You doing okay, Kari?" Yolei asked. "You haven't been yourself lately."

"It's okay," the Jedi of Light shrugged. "We've got a job to do today, and we're going to do it. Don't worry about me. Let's go."

The pedestrian light turned green and Kari walked across the street. The other Jedi looked at each other, wondering if they should follow. Davis shrugged, and Cody and Yolei did the same after a moment, before they finally followed her.

* * *

Somewhere in the Digital World, Ken meditated quietly in his lair. His mind was at peace with nothing there to bother him. No troublesome parents, no annoying fangirls or boys; it was all paradise. He couldn't have asked for anything more. The Digital World was his sanctuary, and he would never leave.

He concentrated on a feeling of darkness he sensed for a brief moment. When he recognized the Force energy it belonged to, a wicked smile rose up his face. Everything was going according to plan.

'_Come to me, my precious. Let me take you.' _

Soon, the Destined Jedi would land out in the desert town that served as an outpost for his servants. If he timed everything right, he would have his prize before any of them even knew what happened. Not only would he break the Jedi of Light, but he also would crush the rest of their spirits.

'_There are snakes in my garden, and I'm the trap.'_

* * *

The walk over to the warehouse was a quiet one. No one said a word to each other, especially to Kari. The other Jedi chatted through the Force with each other, but not a verbal word was spoken. They wanted to help Kari, but none of them knew what to say to her.

TK stared at the back of her head. Her walls never broke down to let him through. It frustrated him. How was he supposed to help her if she didn't let him in? It was frustrating. Even Matt opened up to him after a while.

Soon, they reached the warehouse district and walked inside. Tai, Sora, Matt, and Joe were all there waiting for them.

"Hey, guys," Tai greeted them. When he saw the long expressions on their faces, he frowned. "Everything okay?"

Matt surveyed TK with narrowed eyes. Everything from the look on his brother's face to his body language told him that something was bothering the younger blonde.

"Hey, TK," he said. "Come with me."

"Huh? Why?" TK asked, surprised at Matt's sudden request.

"Just come on."

The younger blonde nodded his head and followed his older brother out of the computer room. The two turned a corner to the left and walked a few paces away from the doorway.

"What's this about?" asked TK.

"Everything going okay, kid?" Matt replied, folding his arms across his chest seriously. "You look like something is bothering you."

TK shrugged it off with a friendly laugh. "Nah, don't be silly. Nothing's bothering me."

"You know I know you better than that, TK. I can tell when something is bothering you: You always give me that laugh and forced smile when you don't want me to know that something is going on underneath."

The one advantage TK had over his brother was Matt couldn't poke around his mind to figure out what was up. He could talk to his brother about many things, but this was something he felt was impossible to share. It felt like his heart had been smashed to pieces, but he wanted to give the appearance of being in control.

"It's nothing," he replied. "Let's just go to the Digital World."

Matt bit his bottom lip and exhaled sharply through his nose. TK was honestly becoming more and more like him every day. It wasn't good. Despite his concerns, he knew it wouldn't do them any good to run around in circles.

"Alright," he shrugged. "Just remember that if you need anything, TK, I'm always here for you."

TK smiled and nodded. "Thanks."

And that was how it would always be, no matter what Kari said to him. He and Matt may not live in the same house together, but they would always be there to support each other.

Matt clapped a hand on TK's shoulder as the two brothers walked back into the computer room. The other Jedi looked at them with surprise.

"Where'd you guys go?" Tai asked.

"Nowhere," Matt replied with a shrug. "TK just wanted to ask me a couple things."

Everyone blinked in confusion.

"It's all taken care of now. Now, come on. We're wasting time."

TK glanced at Kari for a brief moment and looked away when she turned to look back. He didn't get a chance to say anything as Davis opened the gate to the Digital World.

* * *

"Move it, you worthless slugs!" A Vegimon shoved a group of slug-like Digimon called Numemon across the hot desert plain. The sun was beating down on the slugs' small green bodies mercilessly, baking them like fried eggs. They hated sunlight.

"But it's hot," one complained.

"And too bright!" voiced another.

This made the Vegimon even angrier. "I don't care!" it yelled as it smacked the offenders. "Keep moving! The Emperor needs your assistance, whether you want to help or not. You can handle a little sunlight."

The other Numemon tucked their heads and continued moving silently.

At the top of a cliff, Tai watched with his mini telescope. He zoomed out to see where the caravan was going. They were headed for a town that was nestled into the hills across the desert. Tai sensed the presence of other life forms there too.

"They're headed for that town there," he reported to the rest of the Jedi. "There is a group of Numemon being taken as prisoners of the Emperor. There might be others there too."

Kari perked up at the mention of the slug Digimon. Her mind flashed back to when she freed a group of Numemon from being WaruMonzaemon's slaves. They later saved her and the others from Machinedramon, but were destroyed in the process. It was a memory she didn't like to remember because it was too sad for her to think about.

"What's the plan?" asked Joe.

"Ken probably knows we're already here," TK replied. "If that's the case, we know we don't have the element of surprise in our corner. There's no use trying to sneak around and hope we surprise him."

"What makes you think that?" Davis countered.

TK crossed his arms over his chest. Hadn't Davis learned by now what Ken was capable of? "Because he's always waiting for us when we arrive."

Cody agreed. "TK's right. Remember, we're in Ken's territory. You can't outsmart your enemy in their backyard."

Tai thought things over. He surveyed the outline of the town, and a plan started coming into form.

"Okay, here is what we'll do," he said. "We'll split up into three groups. Sora, Davis, you guys come with me and we'll move up from the south. Joe, you take Cody and Yolei and enter from the west. Matt, you take TK and Kari and move from the east. We may not surprise him, but we can sure overwhelm Ken with our larger numbers."

The Jedi of Friendship nodded confidently, as did the Jedi of Reliability. Tai looked out at the town with fire in his eyes.

"We're coming for ya, Ken."

* * *

The air blew sand through the rundown shacks and withered wood boardwalks of the other buildings on the main street. The town looked like something out of the American Wild West, but without cowboys and outlaws. Even though the caravan had come this way, there was no trace of anyone.

"Are you sure this was where they came, Tai?" Sora asked, puzzled by the lack of life in the town. "There's nothing here. So much for your natural instincts."

The Jedi of Courage glared at his Love counterpart. "Don't start with me," he grumbled. "They did come this way. I'm sure of it."

But even as he glanced around the streets and alleyways, there was not a trace of life around them. He was starting to think that maybe Sora was right. Her instincts were usually never wrong.

Davis used the Force to feel around the town for anything. He felt the presence of six life forms coming their way. They hid their aura well enough that Davis couldn't tell who it was. His hand went straight to his lightsaber.

"Hands up, Jedi!"

His hand froze. Tai and Sora stiffened from shock. The three slowly turned and…

"Gotcha!"

Yolei, Cody, Joe, and TK stood behind them with their index fingers pointed like guns at their backs. The four Jedi bowled over with laughter after holding the pose for another second.

Tai glared at them. "Now is not the time to be goofing off, guys!" he growled. "This is a serious mission. Where did that caravan of Digimon go?"

"There's nothing here, Tai," Matt and Kari rounded the corner and came into view. "We just finished our sweep. Nobody's home."

Tai growled in frustration. There should have been other life forms in this town. He saw that group of Digimon go in. It was like they had disappeared.

While he stormed out his anger, the other Jedi whispered among each other about what to do next. If Ken wasn't waiting for them in this location, then he had to be somewhere else.

"Let's open a portal to another place," Davis suggested. "Maybe we'll find him there."

"No, those are only for an emergency," TK shot it down.

"What do you call this then?" Yolei scoffed. "I think this qualifies as an emergency, TK."

"Quiet! All of you!"

Everyone fell silent. Tai bent down and touched his hand to the sandy ground beneath him. Low rumbles slammed against his fingertips. _Thump! Thump! Thump! _They grew louder with every beat of his heart that passed by.

"What is it, Tai?" Matt asked, but he started hearing the rumbling too.

Tai narrowed his eyes. He stood up and activated his lightsaber.

"Hide!" he ordered. "Hide!"

"Why?" TK asked, confused to what he meant for a moment. Then he felt it. "You heard the man, guys! Hide!"

Up in the sky, the sound of wings flapping and a loud, grotesque screech, a scream from another world, filled the air. The Jedi fled into the shadows and hid as a large, dragon-like creature flew from overhead. Flame rained down from its wings and burned the roofs of shacks below.

The Jedi ducked their heads down to avoid being burned by the flames. No one was hurt. Before they could relax for a moment, the dragon roared again as it dove down from the sky for another attack.

"It's an Airdramon!" Sora cried, ducking her head down as the large beast flew right over them. The wind from its wings tossed her auburn hair in all directions. More fire fell from the Airdramon's wings, burning the town further.

Tai couldn't take it much longer and jumped out from his hiding place.

"Tai, get back here!" Sora shouted after him.

"This was the trap Ken planned for us all along!" the Jedi of Courage replied back. "We've got to destroy the beast before it destroys us."

More lightsabers sprung to life as Matt, TK, Joe, Cody, and Davis jumped out from their hiding places too. Yolei hesitated for a moment, but then leaped out from hers with her green lightsaber ready for battle.

In front of them, a whole army of Vegimon emerged from the ground like weeds. They eyed the Jedi with hungry red eyes. Some even popped their joints in anticipation for the battle. The children assumed their stances, ready for the battle that was to come.

"Sora! Get Kari out of here!" Tai ordered. "Go somewhere safe and wait for us!"

"What about you?" the Jedi of Love shot back. "Don't try to be a hero, Tai!"

"Hard not to when you are the ones I'm protecting!"

"Oh, that is so noble of you!"

As they argued, the Vegimon charged at the group of seven Jedi. TK, Matt, and Joe took a few down, but more kept coming. Every one that they struck down was reinforced with another. Airdramon came back and dove down for an attack. Cody and Yolei looked up and jumped to try and land an attack, but the dragon pulled up at the last moment to avoid their reach.

"Just go!" Tai pushed Sora and Kari along.

The two female Jedi finally complied with his demands and ran for another place that would be safe.

He jumped back into the battle and sliced three Vegimon into data.

"This is too easy!" Davis laughed with cockiness as he destroyed two Vegimon that leapt for him. "They're not even in the same league as us."

"Don't get cocky, Davis!" Tai shot at him with a wink.

On the edge of the street, TK pointed his lightsaber out to keep the two Vegimon at bay. He was so focused on them that he didn't notice two more appear on the roof above him.

"It's over, Jedi!" the Vegimon to his right cackled and glanced up.

TK finally sensed the Vegimon on the roof, but it was too late. They grabbed him and threw him into the wall before wrapping their long appendages around his arms, legs, and his neck. TK's lightsaber fell out of his hand as the Vegimon tightened their grip on his body.

The Jedi of Hope kept his mind calm and reached out his hand, calling his lightsaber back to his hand. Once the metal touched his hand, the saber roared to life. The blade sliced through appendages of the Vegimon that held him down before he destroyed them completely.

TK dropped to his knee to get his breath back. If this was what Ken had planned for them, he completely underestimated their ability to see through the trap. Had he lost his mind already?

Suddenly, it dawned on TK. Maybe Ken wanted it to seem that way, and he had something bigger in mind for them all.

His eyes widened. _'Oh no.' _

A scream shot out from nearby. It sounded like Kari.

TK took off like a shot. Sand blew behind him as he ran to the far edge of the town, desperate to save Kari from whatever had found her. When he got there, his anger rose ten fold.

"Surprise," Ken smirked at him, his arm wrapped around Kari's neck. Sora floated with her feet just barely touching the ground. Her hands clutched her throat like she was being choked.

"Let her go, Ken!" TK ordered, pointing his lightsaber at the Emperor. "If you hurt her, I will chop you into little pieces and scatter you across this desert."

The Digimon Emperor merely scoffed and tightened his grip around Kari's neck. "Bold words coming from a coward such as yourself, _Takeru,_" he bit. "I laid the trap, anticipating that you would all come and spring it. Lo and behold, I was right. You all fell for it. And now I claim my prize: the Jedi of Light."

Before TK could do anything, Ken threw the Jedi of Love unto him. Airdramon dove down for its master and Ken grabbed on to its tail as it flew away.

"TK!" Kari screamed. "TAI! HELP ME!"

"KARI!" TK cried after her. Tears fell from his eyes as they flew further and further away. "NO!"

* * *

**Oh the humanity! Kari has been kidnapped! Her vision came true. What will the Destined Jedi do to get her back? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Ken's plan came to fruition after all. What is he going to do with Kari now that he has captured her? You guys will have to wait for the answer next week. The quest to get her back will test the younger Destined Jedi in ways that they have not been tested in yet. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. It was a lot of fun to work on because this is where Ken crosses the line. Next week is going to be even better. I also turn 23 on Monday, so it is going to be an awesome week for me coming up. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you haven't already. You do not want to miss next week. **

**See ya. **


	14. Race Across The Desert

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yeah. Just the fact they never brought that back up was enough for me to cut that whole thing out. **

**Music Chick: Yes he is. Poor TK indeed. We'll see how that affects him. **

**Lord Jaric: For sure. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Exactly. **

**honter11: Thanks. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: You'd be correct on two of those. Oh, you know it. **

* * *

**Back again! I am so sorry for not updating last week, guys, but I had so much S-H-I-T going on that I could not update on time. I was also stuck on some things, so I decided to push it back to this week to give me time to work everything out. I'm pretty happy with how things have turned out this week. I hope you guys feel the same way. **

**Here is a recap in case you've forgotten what happened: Kari was kidnapped by Ken when the group went to the desert. **

**Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

"YOU IDIOT!"

POW!

TK fell into the sand, grasping his jaw after receiving a hard punch to the face. Davis stood over him with fire shooting out from his eyes. The Jedi had destroyed the entire army of Vegimon sent to attack them when TK and Sora returned and told them the bad news.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM, TK?" The burgundy-haired Jedi went for another punch, but Tai stepped in to intercept his arm.

"Stop it!" he ordered. "This is not going to help Kari."

Davis looked at Tai in shock. "Why aren't you freaking out over this? Kari just got kidnapped, Tai!"

"I am scared," Tai shot back. "But taking our frustrations out on each other is not going to solve anything. Got it? It's not TK's fault."

"No, Tai," TK mumbled with his head low. "It is my fault. I said some things to Kari that I shouldn't have today, and she was afraid to call to me for help. I should have been paying closer attention."

"Calm down, TK," Matt wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "There's nothing you could have done. I've got the feeling that Ken has had his eye on Kari since we started. Now was his prime opportunity."

Tai bristled. The thought of the Emperor having his eye on Kari this whole time was enough to make him angry. His protective big brother instincts kicked into high gear. "Whatever that little creep has planned, he won't get away with it. We'll get her back, but don't blame yourself for what happened."

"That's right," Sora mumbled with her eyes on the ground. "It was mine. I should have protected her."

Tai tilted her chin up to look him square in the eyes. A streak of red spread across her face.

"It wasn't your fault either, Sora," he said softly. "These things just happen. You're not at fault here. I know you would have done everything you could to protect Kari." A soft smile appeared. "Don't worry. I could never be mad at you."

Matt glared into the back of Tai's skull.

"Anyway!" the older blonde exclaimed, breaking the scene up. "What's our next step? We don't know where Ken took her."

Joe screamed. Everyone jumped up in surprise.

"Is it really that late?" the Jedi of Reliability exclaimed, staring at his watch. "Holy crap! I can't stay here much longer. I have to go!"

"Where do you have to be?" Matt glared at him, his hands on his hips. "What can possibly be more important than rescuing Kari?"

Joe looked at the group apologetically. "I'm sorry, guys, but I forgot that I had an important pre-test that could determine where I go to high school tomorrow. I am nowhere near ready for it because of all these events."

"But, Joe-" Cody looked up at him with sadness.

"I'm sorry about this, Cody," he apologized, bending down to pat the boy on the shoulder. "I completely forgot about it. I know you'll do just fine without me around though."

Tai and Matt groaned and rolled their eyes. Some things just never changed.

"Alright," Tai said. "If it's that important to you, Joe, then go. The rest of us will stay and –"

"I almost forgot that I had plans tonight too," Sora interrupted, earning an anime fall in response. "I promised Mom I would pick up a shift at the shop this evening."

"Can't you just skip it?" Yolei exclaimed. "I skip the shifts I don't want all the time."

"I'm sorry, Yolei," the Jedi of Love smiled sheepishly. "I've missed two already, and Mom would be really upset if I skipped out on a third. You really don't want to mess with my mom when it comes to being on time."

"No, you don't," Tai agreed with a chuckle. "And I just forgot that I had a test tomorrow too. My math grade is already bad, so I need to get this one to boost my grade up."

Matt muttered a curse under his breath and brought down the rest of the bad news. "I'm behind on band stuff, so I need to catch up."

The younger Jedi couldn't believe it. The older Jedi were just abandoning them? They understood that they had other lives and responsibilities but this was a serious matter. Kari had just been kidnapped!

"So you guys are just leaving us?" Davis asked with his mouth agape. "What about Kari?!"

Tai ruffled his head and smiled at him to quiet him down. "I trust you guys to rescue her," he said. "Think of this as another test for you all to learn to work together. We can't always help you, but if you work together as a team, then our mission will continue on. Go find her, and bring her home."

TK strapped his goggles back on the brim of his hat. His saddened face was now full of determination.

"You can count on me, Tai," he replied confidently. "Ken is going to pay dearly for what he did. I will never forgive him for that."

"Yeah! We are gonna kick his butt all over the Digital World!" Davis agreed, activating his lightsaber and swinging it around like a ninja spinning a nunchaku. The pommel smacked him in the forehead.

"Ow," he muttered as the group laughed at his misfortune.

Cody bowed before Joe. "I promise I will not let you down, Joe. Kari will be returned safely."

Joe patted the boy on the head. "I know you will. Just remember everything that I've taught you so far, Cody. You all will do fine."

"May the Force be with you all," Tai added as TK opened a gate for them all to go back. The four older Destined Jedi stepped through the portal and were gone.

The remaining four Jedi glanced wordlessly at each other. More sand blew across the abandoned street as the wind picked up. That meant a sandstorm was imminent. They couldn't go find Kari in those conditions.

"Well?" Davis finally said. "What do we do?"

"We find where Ken has taken Kari and rescue her," TK stated the obvious. "That's what we do."

"Where do we even start to look?" Yolei asked. "We don't even know where they have gone. They could be anywhere in the Digital World by now."

Davis scoffed. "Some helpful attitude you're having right now, Yolei."

The lavender-haired girl glared at him. "Better than just running off somewhere with no clue where we're going! Do you have a plan right now?"

"TK's the brains, sweetheart!"

Cody shut out all the arguing and concentrated on the Force. His mind calmed down as everything around them whispered to him lightly. After a few seconds of nothing, he caught a whiff of Kari's Force energy from further in the desert. It was very faint, but just enough for him to feel. All of his hard work with Joe had increased his awareness in the Force.

"I've found her," he mumbled.

Everyone stopped arguing for a second to look at the younger boy.

"What was that, Cody?" TK asked.

"I know where Kari is," Cody explained. "Ken took her somewhere deep in the desert. I have the trail."

The blonde smiled and thrust his hand out to the open field in front of them. "Then lead us on."

Cody nodded and led the group out into the desert.

* * *

"Why didn't you go with them, Tai?" Matt asked after the older Jedi emerged on the other side of the digital divide. "I thought you of all people would stay to rescue Kari. What's up?"

A small smirk rose up the side of Tai's face. Matt had seen that look many times to know that something was up.

"This is just another test for them all," the Jedi of Courage replied. "The only way they can all learn to work as a team is if none of us are holding their hands the whole time. They have to figure things out for themselves."

"And you think risking Kari's life is the way to teach them to work together?" the Jedi of Friendship was confused. "What if they fail?"

"Don't worry. I know Kari. She'll be fine."

* * *

Kari finally came to her senses after being passed out asleep for the past while. She tried to bring her hands up to her face to wipe the sleep out of her eyes, but she couldn't. Her eyes widened with alarm. Iron chains that glowed a subtle blue held her down on the operating table.

Kari looked down at her waist. Her lightsaber was gone. She turned her head in all directions in search of it before finally finding it on a table a few yards away from her.

Despite the chains weighing heavily on her arms, Kari stretched her hand as far as she could to call the blade to her. The saber shook, but did not come flying into her hand like she expected. She concentrated harder, but the weapon did heed to her command.

Kari finally gave up. Why wouldn't it come to her?

Then it hit her.

'_These chains must be the reason for that,' _she guessed. They were dulling the Force so that she couldn't escape. Ken had this planned very well, as much as she hated to admit it.

Looking around, Kari couldn't see much around her. The room was dark and bare, but she knew she wasn't alone. She looked over in one corner of the room.

"I know you're there, Ken," she said, trying to sound tough. "There's no use hiding from me anymore. Show yourself."

A low, menacing snicker filled the room. Kari contained her fear as a figure slowly emerged from the shadows. His large mop of raven hair came into the light first, followed by the rest of his body. His eyes glinted evilly behind his dark sunglasses, matching his wide smirk.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Jedi of Light," he greeted. "I'm so glad you could join me today."

Ken moved to the operating table with the speed of a slug. It was obvious he wanted to enjoy his capture of Kari for a few moments longer. Kari thrashed on the table to break her restraints, but she was held down tightly. She couldn't move.

Ken chuckled. "Try all you want, Kari, but you will never break free of those chains. I made those especially for you. There will be no escaping today, my precious."

He brushed a hand over her cheek. She snapped her head to try and bite him, but Ken moved his hand away at the last second. He looked at it to make sure her teeth didn't graze his glove, checking all five fingers. All of them were present and accounted for.

"Hostile little clover," he chuckled.

"What do you want with me, Ken?" she snapped with fire in her eyes. "Why did you kidnap me?"

The Digimon Emperor snickered at his prey. "You still think you're in control, don't you, Kari?" he said slowly. "Well, your precious brother and friends are not here to help you. They're not coming to help you. In this labyrinth of darkness, you belong to me now."

His hand slithered into his pocket and withdrew a second later with a switchblade in it. With a click, the blade emerged from the handle and shined dangerously in the light. Ken looked at it like he was holding a cherished memento.

"Would you look at that," he said fondly. "This little baby brings back memories for me."

Kari's glare never let up. "What do you mean?"

"It put a big smile on my brother. Ear," Ken pretended to slash the knife across his throat, "to ear. He was giving me a hard time, so I decided to end it. Now he permanently smiles in heaven."

Kari gasped. She couldn't believe he would talk about murder so lightly as Ken pointed the knife at her. The sick smirk on his face was even wider than before. The thrill of the power he had over her was intoxicating.

"I'm going to give you a choice, Kari, before I do anything else," he said. "You can join me and rule the Digital World as my empress," the cold steel of the knife pressed against her cheek. "Or you can continue to be a defiant little insect and have a permanent smile on your face. What good are your friends and brother when you're dead?"

Kari sucked in a breath to seek relief from the blade. It poked painfully into her cheek, but not enough to draw blood. The glare on her face never left as she stared defiantly back at Ken.

"Drop dead," she cursed. "You think by doing this you can break me? I know exactly what you are, Ken. You're nothing more than a scared little boy who thinks he can get his way by pushing others around. The Digimon Emperor is a mask you wear to hide behind the fact you're afraid of the outside world."

Ken bristled, his blood boiling. The knife shook along with his hand as he poked it further into her cheek. Kari shut her eyes and grimaced because of the pain. He could slash her throat and end her life right there.

But he didn't.

Instead, Ken withdrew the knife and glared down at her. Kari breathed heavily to calm herself down. The two stared at each other silently, both realizing that they were getting nowhere with the other.

Ken shrunk the blade back into the pommel and put the knife in his pocket. Despite the chains stopping her from using the Force externally, Kari was using it to block him out of her mind. He licked his tongue along his front teeth. This was going to be so much fun.

"If we're going to play games," he smirked. "Then I'm going to need a cup of coffee. I'll leave you some time to think about your actions, Kari. You'll eventually see things my way."

"Not likely!"

He left the room without another word, leaving Kari stranded alone in the darkness. The light above her was the only source of light and she looked up at it to avoid thinking about her current situation.

'_Guys, help me.'_

* * *

"You sure this is it, Cody?" TK asked, looking around.

He was confused. There was nothing around there except miles and miles of sand and dry desert. Cody led them on for ten miles before finally stopping where he sensed the Force trail end.

The youngest Jedi nodded. "I'm sure of it. The trail ends right here."

"Well, where the hell is Kari?" Davis shot. "You led us to the middle of nowhere, Cody!"

"You shouldn't curse, Davis," Yolei replied with disapproval. "It doesn't make you look smarter."

The burgundy-haired Jedi stood nose to nose with Yolei. "You trying to say something, your worship?"

Yolei didn't back down. She shoved her face right back into Davis'. "Your too small of a brain wouldn't be able to comprehend it."

"That's it!" Davis dove right for her and the two began fighting. Cody and TK jumped in to separate the two of them. TK pulled Davis up from off of Yolei and wrapped his arm around the boy's neck to hold him back.

"Davis, come on," he growled, but Davis kept his eyes focused and shooting daggers on Yolei.

"Don't call me stupid!"

"Then quit acting stupid, stupid!" Yolei shot back.

"ENOUGH!" TK yelled.

Everything went silent as the other Jedi stared at their leader in shock. TK pinched the top of his nose to get himself back under control before letting out a shaky breath. He was extremely worried about Kari and wanted desperately to get her back. He would never forgive himself if something terrible happened to her.

"This isn't the time for bickering," he said, glancing at each of the other three Jedi. "Kari's life is depending on us finding her and rescuing her from Ken. I do not want to imagine what that creep is doing to her, but we…"

He cut his speech off because of a low rumble beneath the sand. The four Destined Jedi didn't move a muscle as the rumble grew louder and louder. Before any of them could react, the ground disappeared beneath them and they fell into the abyss below.

The Jedi fell thirty feet before landing in a pile at the bottom. Davis was the unfortunate one on bottom with the full weight of the three other kids crushing down on his back.

"I think I coughed up my spleen," he groaned.

"Sorry about that," TK apologized.

The Jedi quickly climbed off each other until they were all standing up in the darkness. The Force was strong. Not one, but two familiar presences were somewhere nearby.

"Where do we go?" Cody asked, his voice echoing off the walls. He covered his mouth in embarrassment before speaking in a much lower tone. "There's something nearby?"

"We're not trusting you to lead us on this time, Cody," Davis shot quietly. "Look where that got us."

"Don't blame me for this, Davis!" the boy shot back.

"Both of you shut up!" Yolei hissed as TK looked around for where the presences were strongest.

"No, hold on, guys," said TK. "I can sense them close by. You led us to the right place, Cody."

The blonde's mind was calm as he closed his eyes and concentrated on the Force. His urgency to find Kari and rescue her was strong, but he muted that desire to concentrate with a clear mind. The only way this rescue would work was if he didn't act too irrationally.

TK turned towards a corridor. "This way," he ordered before the group took off.

The air was so still that every step they took echoed loudly across the walls, causing them to move slowly in order to stay quiet. Torches that were spaced out every twenty yards dimly lighted the corridor. Every time the Jedi heard footsteps other than their own every few minutes, they ducked into the shadows and waited for the sound to go away. But nothing came through the hallway.

Kari's Force energy grew stronger with every step. The Jedi grew anxious as they got closer. They were almost waiting to accidentally spring a trap that Ken had waiting for them. He always was waiting for them to show up.

A string of lights that the Jedi took for sunlight came up ahead. TK kept his guard up as they moved closer to them. Yolei and Cody seemed to have the same thought because they eyed the lights cautiously. For Davis, the thought never crossed his mind as he crossed into one of the lights.

Alarms went off, blaring so loud that the Jedi had to cover their ears.

"_Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" _an automated voice said over an intercom.

Lasers came flying out of multiple directions, filling the hallway with the sound. The Jedi activated their lightsabers to deflect the blaster fire.

"Davis, you idiot!" Yolei screamed as she deflected one bolt into the wall. "Now look what you've done!"

"It wasn't my fault!" he shouted back.

TK used his lightsaber with one hand to block fire as he put the other on his earpiece to talk into it.

"Izzy! Izzy!" he yelled into it. "Are there any other ways out of this hallway? We're in a little bit of trouble!"

No response came on the other end of his earpiece.

"Izzy? You there?"

There was still no response.

"I can't get a hold of Izzy," TK yelled over the alarms and automated voice. "Looks like we're on our own, guys."

"This is some rescue mission here!" Yolei said with a roll of her eyes. "We've got no plan to find Kari."

Davis was getting tired of her less-than-helpful attitude. "Why don't you just shut your mouth and get us out of here then, your highness!" he yelled.

Yolei wanted to pummel the little mutant into oblivion. She hated his bossy attitude and stupidity, among many other things. But this was not the time to kill each other; they had to find a way out before Ken's security forces showed up.

She found the answer right next to her.

"Into the garbage chute!" she cried. "Everyone into the garbage chute!"

The three male Jedi looked at her like she was crazy. Yolei didn't take the time to notice as she deactivated her lightsaber and dove into the chute. Cody swallowed his pride and followed, thinking it was better than blocking lasers.

"Wonderful girl!" Davis vented as he and TK continued blocking lasers left and right. "Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her. She calls me stupid, but does something like that?"

"Just shut up and go!" TK replied. He felt the presence of a small squad making their way to their position. "Ken's security forces are coming!"

Davis struggled to decide what to do. Having a place to hide was a much more urgent matter because he also felt Ken's security forces were coming. But in a garbage chute? Where did this sound familiar?

"Get in there, Davis!" TK shoved him into the chute before following right behind.

The two fell ten feet before landing on top of a large pile of rubbish. A foul smell blasted up their noses. Garbage, waste, and other disgusting objects surrounded them. Digital flies flew around the entire bin. Davis emerged from the garbage pile with a banana peel on top of his head.

"The garbage chute was a wonderful idea," he drawled at Yolei, who was across the way from him. "What an incredible smell you've discovered."

"Shut up!" she glared at him. "If you hadn't tripped that trap, we wouldn't be down here."

"Oh yes, your worship. It was my brilliant idea to have us all go down the garbage chute. Now we are nowhere close to finding Kari! Can you imagine all the horrible things Ken must be doing to her?"

TK couldn't help but agree.

"I don't think this was the best idea, Yolei," he said. "We could have found another way out, but all you want to do is argue when things don't go your way. Why don't you try being helpful for a change?"

Yolei was caught off guard by the tongue lashing from TK.

"So it's my fault that Davis tripped the alarm?" she shot back. "He should be the one you're telling off, not me! I'm surprised at you, TK."

The three descended into a shouting match. Each would shout over the other in order to drown them out, filling the entire trash compactor with the sounds of their yelling.

Cody watched the argument with shock and disappointment. Why were they all fighting with one another? More importantly, how was this going to help them rescue Kari? The youngest Destined Jedi felt powerless to do anything, but he knew he had to do something. None of this was helping.

"STOP IT!" he shouted.

The three bickering children stopped arguing and turned to look at the boy in shock. Who knew that he could speak so loudly?

"No more arguing!" Cody snapped.

Davis shrugged him off and looked around for a way out. The walls were twenty feet high and covered with grime and sludge. There was no way they could climb out of there unless one of them was like that guy who escaped prison four times.

"It's not going to take Ken long to figure out what happened to us," he said.

"It could be worse," Yolei shot with her arms folded across her chest.

Cody felt something grab hold of his leg and pull it down. He yelped at the suddenness of the motion as he was dragged into the pile of garbage he was on top of.

"Guys, help me!" he cried.

TK rushed over to grab Cody's hand.

"I've gotcha, Cody," he assured the boy, pulling against the opposing force to bring him back up. Whatever held Cody's leg sure had a strong grip. The youngest Destined Jedi used his other foot to kick whatever held his leg.

Yolei and Davis jumped over to help TK. Davis wrapped his arms around Cody's midsection while Yolei grabbed his other hand. All three Jedi pulled back as hard as they could, but they were being pulled down along with Cody.

"Come on! Pull!" TK strained.

Cody felt like he was being torn apart limb from limb. A head started to peek out from beneath the garbage. It looked like a giant slug with one eye bigger than the other. Its gaping mouth was full of sharp teeth. The smell of garbage only got worse as a nastier scent came from the creature.

TK recognized the creature. "A Raremon!"

"What's a Raremon?" Yolei shrieked, fighting the urge to plug her nose.

"A Digimon that you do not want to run into."

The creature roared as it fully emerged from the garbage pile. It let go of Cody and set its eyes on the rest of the Jedi. The group activated their lightsabers.

* * *

Ken smirked.

'_Looks like they've found Raremon,' _he snickered. _'Let's see how they get out of this one.' _

He walked back into the room, hoping that Kari would be a little bit more cooperative with him. Not like she had much choice. The Jedi of Light lied on the table quietly, staring up at the ceiling.

"You'll be happy to know that your friends have come to your rescue, Kari," he said coyly. "Unfortunately, there was a little snag. They will all be dead in just a matter of moments once I dispose of the garbage."

Kari lashed against her restraints as the Emperor cackled sadistically. She didn't care if it wasn't the Jedi way. She was going to end the little snot if he did anything to hurt her friends.

"I'll kill you for this, Ken!" she growled, feeling tears start to sting her eyes.

Ken glided his hand over her cheek tenderly, wiping a tear off of her cheek. The two looked each other deep in the eyes as Kari settled down. The Digimon Emperor didn't notice Kari tightening one of her fists more than the other.

"I'll repeat my offer again," he said, a grin rising up his face. "Become my empress, Kari, and I will let your little friends live. Imagine it: You and me ruling the Digital World together. We can make things the way we want them to be. I know what you desire most, Kari, and I can make those dreams come true. All you have to do is promise to be at my side forever."

He leaned in until their faces were just inches from each other. Her scent intoxicated him as he went in to kiss her.

Pain shot right through his groin.

Kari sneered at him with her knee buried into the apex of his thighs. Her arm freed itself from the chains and curled into a fist.

"No thanks," she said before hurling the fist towards Ken's face. The Digimon Emperor fell to the ground and buried his hands between his thighs. He moaned in pain.

Kari called her saber to her hand, glanced down at Ken and muttered, "See ya," then fled the room. Ken reached his hand out to use the Force to stop her, but the pain shooting through his lower body was so much that he couldn't muster up his strength.

He pounded the floor in agony.

'_That little wench! She'll pay for this! I will not hesitate to kill her when I get the chance.'_

* * *

"Watch out!" TK dove on top of Yolei as Raremon shot a yellow-green liquid out of its mouth towards her.

Davis and Cody jumped in to draw the monster's attention away from their two comrades. They jabbed their lightsabers forward, hoping to push the beast back with the threat of force. Raremon regarded the Jedi with annoyance and swept its clawed foot across. Davis leapt out of the way, but Cody was knocked into the wall.

The boy grimaced in pain, but found the strength to get back up. The Force flowed through him to deliver an adrenaline boost as he jumped back into the fight.

TK continued looking for a way out. There had to be one. The garbage chute couldn't be the only way in or out. He desperately searched.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast, TK!" Yolei yelled as Raremon set its sights on her.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" he shouted back, sifting through the trash to try and find a big enough hole that would lead them out. Time was running out, and they couldn't hold Raremon off forever.

EEEENNGGGH! EEEENNGGGH! EEEENNGGGH!

Alarms blared loudly inside the bin. The Jedi covered their ears because of how loud it was.

"What's happening?" Yolei shouted over the alarm.

"I don't know!" TK replied back.

Suddenly, the ground fell out from under them. They hovered in mid-air for a split second before gravity finally took over.

"AAAAHHHHH!" they screamed as they plummeted to the ground below.

They fell twenty feet and landed on a pile of garbage. They skittered down onto the desert sand. This time, poor Cody was on the bottom of their pile. With the weight of the three older kids on top of his stomach, the nine-year-old boy felt like he was dying.

"I can't breathe!" Cody coughed out. "Get off me, guys!"

Raremon emerged from the trash pile with a loud roar. It looked right at Cody with its lopsided eyes and moved toward him. Cody's eyes widened and he pushed harder to get everyone off of him.

"Get off! Get off! Get off!" he urged, but no one budged.

The monster's disgusting smell overpowered Cody's nose as it got closer to him. He couldn't reach his lightsaber to defend himself, and the others still were not moving off of him.

Raremon raised one of its claw-tipped feet to smash down on top of the Jedi. Cody closed his eyes and waited for the attack to happen.

The monster screamed and disappeared in a burst of data. Cody hesitated to take a look, but finally opened one eye.

"Hi, guys."

Cody's other eye opened in shock. The other Jedi rolled off of him and followed his eye line. They too were surprised at what they saw.

Kari stood where Raremon had just been. Her blue lightsaber hummed in the still desert air before she withdrew it with a _ship! _

Davis bolted up from the ground and embraced her before anyone else could. Yolei and Cody joined him, thankful that Kari was alright.

TK stayed back and watched. While he was relieved that she was alright, their fight earlier that day came back to him. He wanted to say he was sorry for what he said, but something inside of him just stopped him from doing that.

TK swallowed the lump in his throat and joined the rest of the Jedi.

"How did you escape, Kari?" Davis asked.

Kari shrugged. "I used a bobby pin to loosen the chains that held me down. I'll tell you guys more about it later. Right now, we have to get going before Ken recovers from the beating I gave him."

TK finally entered her line of sight. The awkward feeling overcame both of them. TK's cheeks blushed bright red before looking away from her. The other three Jedi were confused to what was going on.

"I'm glad to see you're alright, Kari," said TK quietly. "Looks like you can take care of yourself just fine."

Kari nodded in response. Eyes downcast, she asked just as quietly, "What I said before, TK, I was out of line. I apologize for what I said. Alll I could think about was that I hoped my friends would come. I hoped that you could come in time. I hoped," a foot played in the sand, afraid of how TK would respond to her statement, "we can be friends again. I really missed you today."

TK put up a forced smile to hide the sound of his heart breaking again. It truly looked like she thought of him as only a friend.

"Yeah, sure," he nodded, putting on his happy-go-lucky mask again. "I'm sorry too. I'm just glad to see you're alright."

He turned to the others. "Alright, everyone. Let's go home."

* * *

**The group escaped Ken's clutches this time, but what will happen going forward now that he has shown a willingness to take them prisoner? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Yes, I could not help but do my own version of the trash compactor scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. I think it worked out well for this scene, and brought back Raremon because I can see it lurking in the trash. Hope you guys liked it. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get these chapters out on time for you guys. So much that I feel horrible when I do not update on time, but life does come first.**

**Kari looks like she can handle things fine without her brother. She's not some damsel in distress. We will see how she progresses further. **

**Anyway, hope you guys liked the chapter and it was worth the wait. As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story. I've got one more truly original chapter before we jump back into familiar territory. **

**See you guys next week ;-)**


	15. (Un)Conditional Love Part 1

**Reviews: **

**Guest 1: That'll come later. Your patience will be rewarded. I promise. **

**Ackbarfan5556: For sure XD **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Gotta love 'em. **

**Was disappointed: I'm sorry you feel that way. That wasn't what I planned to do though. **

**Music Chick: Yes it is XD We will see how he responds to it. **

**Guest 2: Oh it will be worth the wait. **

**Ratchet McCloud: As I messaged you, thank you for catching the mistake and I went back and fixed it. Thank you for your reviews, my friend. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: I appreciate it. Oh, you'll find out what I was getting there with that. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: We shall have to see about that. I totally get your situation. **

**Special thank you to TrimusicaDrag00n90 for the favorite and follow.**

* * *

**I'M BACK, GUYS! October was a terrible month for writing. Middle of the semester stuff, so go fig. Finally working down to the final weeks, so I have more time to write. That and I was stuck with where to take this chapter. It'll be split into two parts because of how long it would be otherwise. Now we take some time to focus on Yolei. Hope the chapter was worth the wait, guys. I was amazed at all the reviews. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Yumi, you know you're the only one for me." _

"_Oh, Kosuke. Why don't we just run away and forget about everything else?" _

"_I'd love that." _

Yolei removed her glasses to wipe the tears that were threatening to drip down her cheeks. This was the part she had been waiting to see all week, and now it was finally here. She hugged a pillow against her chest as she snuggled into the couch, dressed only in her pajamas.

Because of everything that had gone on lately involving the Digital World, Yolei decided to take a moment to herself and enjoy life for a change. Sora left a little while ago after their lesson of increasing her awareness with the Force.

Yolei asked Sora to teach her how to use a mind trick out of curiosity. Even though Sora warned her they shouldn't use those unless it was a dire situation, Yolei still wanted to hear about them. She already knew it worked, but she wanted to hear it from the Jedi of Love instead.

The main characters leaned in for a kiss. Her excitement rose as their lips got closer and closer to each other. It was almost there.

The screen went dark.

"HUH?" Yolei screamed in surprise. All of a sudden, the television had been turned off just before the big moment. Her eyes narrowed as they searched around the room for the offender.

"Who did that?" she hissed.

Her father stood behind the couch with the remote in his hand. Mr. Inoue was a tall, slender man with glasses, just like most of his family. His brown hair was cut short and his shoulders were broad.

"Dad! What the heck?" she exclaimed at the man. "I was watching that!"

Mr. Inoue blinked in surprise at seeing his youngest daughter sitting on the couch.

"Oh, didn't see you there, Yolei," he chuckled nervously. "Shouldn't you be in bed now? It's late, and you have school tomorrow."

"Dad, you know my soap operas are on every night around this time!" Yolei shot back, her eyes glaring daggers into her father as she went to take the remote from him. "Give it to me."

Her father moved it away.

"No. Time for you to go on to bed, kiddo," he said firmly.

Yolei gnashed her teeth as she struggled to control her frustration. This always happened. Her older siblings got to stay up a little bit later than her. It wasn't fair!

Then it hit her.

Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she thought of what she could do to convince her father to see things her way.

With a wave of her hand, she said, "You'll give me the remote."

Mr. Inoue blinked in confusion for a second before shrugging and complying with his daughter's command. Yolei switched the TV back on, but they had gotten past the part she had been waiting for. She wouldn't let her father forget it.

"You'll also let me stay up for a little while longer," she added with another wave of her hand.

"In bed by ten, okay?"

"Okay."

Her father left the room, only to be replaced by yet another annoying presence. Her older brother Mantarou loudly sang off-key to the song he was listening to on his IPod. He wore nothing but a towel around his waist. His red hair was cut in a similar style that Cody's was, and wore sleek glasses.

"Ew! Put some clothes on, you sicko!" Yolei cried with disgust, covering her eyes.

Her brother was blissfully unaware of her disgust as he continued his moonwalking attempt. Before he got too far, Mantarou bumped into his unsuspecting sister. Finally, he turned to look at her.

"Oh, hey there, squirt," he said, pulling his earbuds out of his ears. "Didn't see ya. Did you say something?"

Yolei glared daggers into him. "Yes! Put some clothes on, please! There are more women in this house than you, ya know!"

Her brother shrugged her off and put his earbuds back in to enjoy the song he was listening to.

Yolei's face turned beet red as her annoyance grew with each passing second. Her brother was the oldest of the four Inoue children, and treated her more like a little kid than her sisters did.

Without thinking, she ripped out one of his earbuds. Before he could say a word of protest, she said with a wave of her hand, "You'll go put some clothes on."

Her brother had a complete change of attitude.

"Excuse me," he said. "I'm going to go put some clothes on."

"Thank you."

As her brother left the room, Yolei realized she was not going to get any peace tonight so she retired to her bedroom before anything else could happen.

She flopped down on her bed, burying her face into her pillow. Even though she was happy to be a Destined Jedi, she felt like she had nothing good to offer the team. TK was the leader, Davis was the overeager one, Cody was the silent one, and Kari could be considered the second-in-command. What was she? Just someone along for the ride?

'_What am I?' _Yolei wondered as she pulled her face out of her pillow and tucked her knees into her chest. She took the saber off of her waist and stared at it.

Why was she chosen to be a Destined Jedi? She had been asking herself that question for a long time now, and still had not found the answer. Maybe she really was completely useless. Useless at home, and useless in the group.

She tightened her grip on the laser sword, her fist shaking as she squeezed the pommel. When the group went to the Digital World the next day, she was going to start earning her keep. Somehow, she would.

With that thought, she took off her glasses and settled in to fall asleep.

* * *

_Yolei ran through the thick trees as if her life depended on it. Blaster fire soared past her head. She relied on her Jedi reflexes to dodge the fire, but it was nowhere close to stopping. She was all alone. _

_Finally, she ducked behind a tree to catch her breath. The bark scratched roughly against the material of her watermelon-colored yukata and her hair. Her calves hurt after running for so long. _

_Yolei looked back behind the tree. The sounds of blaster fire vanished. _

"_Guys?" she called. _

_No one answered. Yolei gripped her lightsaber tightly as she sensed the presence of another coming close to her position. She wasn't sure who it was, but she had her saber ready in case it was a threat. _

_A familiar cackle filled the air within the forest. _

_Her green lightsaber blade shot out. Yolei turned her head in all directions, knowing that the Emperor could come from any direction. She was frightened. No one was there to help her in this dark forest. _

"_Come out, Ken! I'm not afraid of you!" she swung her lightsaber wildly at any little sound that reached her ears. Panic bubbled up in her throat as the anxiety overpowered her. _

_Yolei shook like a leaf. She hated being alone. She always had. Something about being completely powerless with no one around to help or comfort you utterly terrified her. Now here she was in the middle of a dark forest with the Digimon Emperor playing with her mind like she was one of his toys. _

"_Come. Come to me, Miyako," a hiss boomed through the trees. It was unlike anything Yolei had ever heard from Ken before. A chill ran down her spine. He sounded like a demon had possessed him and was speaking through him. _

_But what really made her blood run cold was what he said next. _

"_Let me rip you, Miyako. Let me kill you." _

_Yolei seized up. _

"_Don't use my real name, Ken! Come out here and face me like a man!" she yelled, but the panic controlled her completely. She had no control over herself, just moving in every direction looking for where Ken was hiding. _

_Something touched her back. _

_Yolei shrieked and shut her eyes. She swung her lightsaber behind her to destroy whatever it was. _

_She opened her eyes. _

_A tree trunk. _

_Yolei laughed nervously, ashamed that she had let her fears get the better of her. It was just her imagination. She relaxed and hooked her lightsaber back on her obi._

_A dark cry came from the top of the tree as a dark figure jumped down to her. _

"_GUYSSS!" Yolei screamed as darkness smothered her._

* * *

"GUYS!" Yolei shot up from her bed with a loud gasp. She breathed heavily as she looked anxiously around her dark room.

As the seconds ticked by, her fear slowly evaporated as it occurred to her that it was only a dream. She didn't sense anyone else in her room but herself, which put her even more at ease.

She wiped sweat off her forehead.

'_Just a dream.' _

Yolei settled back down under the covers and tried to ease her mind enough to go back to sleep. She tossed and turned to try and let sleep overtake her, but the dream would not leave her mind.

What did it mean? Was this a sign that Ken was starting to get to her? Since he failed with Kari, would he go after her now? So many questions that Yolei was scared to know the answers to.

Maybe Sora could help her. The auburn-haired Jedi of Love had been a source of comfort ever since they started working together. Sora listened to her problems and drew upon her experience as a Jedi to help make Yolei the best one she could be. She was the big sister Yolei always wished she had.

'_I'll ask her tomorrow,' _Yolei thought as sleep finally overtook her.

* * *

'_Where is she?' _

Yolei looked down at her watch in breathless anticipation for Sora to arrive at her family's apartment. It was past five o'clock, which was usually when Sora came by for training. She knew she had soccer practice, but the Jedi of Love was later than usual.

Both her parents were down in the store with her sister Momoe helping them. Chizuru and Mantarou were out somewhere else, so Yolei had the entire apartment to herself for now. That was perfect because she didn't want to let anything slip about what she was. None of her family would believe it.

'_Kill. Kill.' _

A chill shot down Yolei's spine. Her head spun around the room, searching for the source of the voice. It was the same mysterious voice she heard in her dream. Her fear rose as the seconds ticked by.

'_Time to die, Miyako.' _The voice said with a cold laugh.

Her hand shook as she reached down for her lightsaber. Yolei fumbled with the pommel as she took it into her hand.

_Knock! Knock! Knock! _

Yolei jumped at the sound, sending the saber flying out of her hand. Thinking it was a member of her family, she fumbled with the blade as she struggled to put it back on her waist.

She went straight for the door and answered it.

"Hi, Yolei," Sora greeted with a smile. It disappeared after seeing the distressed look on the younger girl's face. "You okay?"

"Did you hear a voice a little bit ago?" Yolei asked.

Sora raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Voice? What voice?"

"That voice," said Yolei, looking like she was on the verge of a panic attack. "I heard it in my dream last night, and then again just a moment ago. Am I going crazy?"

In all her time of being a Destined Jedi, Sora had learned not to ignore voices that came to you. That was how she and her Digimon guardian Biyomon met each other the first time. But there were also times that hearing voices was not a good thing. Based on Yolei's distressed face, she figured it was the latter.

"I don't think this is the best place to talk about this," she said.

"This is the perfect time to talk about this, Sora!" Yolei grabbed the knot of her school neckerchief. "I'm afraid that I am losing my mind here! Help me! You said you'd always be there to help me with anything."

"No, I mean the foyer is not the right place to talk about this," Sora clarified, stricken by the display of helplessness. "Let's go into your room and begin our lesson. Hopefully we can figure out a solution to this."

Yolei shrugged as she followed the auburn-haired girl. "I hope so."

Sora slipped her shoes off in the genkan and stepped up onto the hardwood floors of the apartment. Yolei closed the door behind the Jedi of Love as Sora turned to look at her with a serious glare on her face.

The two girls sat on the floor across from each other. Yolei hugged a pillow in tight to her chest.

"Okay. Tell me what happened," said Sora as she sat with her legs under her bottom.

Yolei took a deep breath as the memory of the dream came flooding back to her. It still scared her.

"In the dream, I was in a forest," she said slowly. "Blaster fire was going off all around me. I was alone. So alone."

A shiver went down Yolei's spine as the hair on her arms stood on end underneath her shirt. "And then this creepy voice comes out of nowhere through the trees," she continued. "It was telling me to come to it and to let it rip and kill me. It even used my real name. I was so scared."

She buried her face into her pillow.

Sora nodded slightly.

"I wonder if-" she paused. Her arms folded across her chest as she thought about what Yolei had told her. "Did you get a look at who, or what, was calling you?" she asked.

Yolei shook her head.

"No. I swung my saber into the trunk of a tree. Just as I wrote it off, this shadowy figure jumped off the tree towards me with a vicious cry." Her body shivered. That cry sounded more animal than human. She buried her face back into her pillow.

Sora at last understood what to do.

"I think I know how to help," she said. "Let's find out if you've had a vision or a normal dream. Ready?"

Yolei looked up from her pillow, curious how they were going to find that out.

"How are you going to do that?" she asked.

"First, give me your hands," Sora ordered.

Yolei reached out and the two joined hands. Sora rubbed her thumbs over the backs of Yolei's hands before going into the next part of her plan.

"Now, close your eyes."

Sora shut her eyes, anticipating Yolei would do the same, and took a deep breath. She didn't hear Yolei following along, so she opened an eye to see what the problem was.

Yolei sat on her calves with a confused look.

"Come on. Do it with me," Sora urged, shutting her eyes once more.

"Um…okay," Yolei shrugged and finally closed her eyes.

"Take a deep breath," Sora continued, taking in a deep breath of her own. "Let it out."

The younger Jedi did this over and over. Her awareness rose with each passing second as the Force heightened its activity within her mind.

"Clear your mind and focus on the Force. Let it consume your senses, and trust for it to show you which is the answer."

Yolei felt the sensation of waves crashing down on top of her like she was at a beach. Instead of the water hitting her so hard that it hurt, it was a gentle touch that soothed her mind. She searched deep inside of herself to try and find the answer.

Sora felt the waves being transmitted through their joined hands. While the older Jedi could not manipulate the Force to their will anymore, they could still feel the Force flowing around them. It was strongest when they could touch the source of it. Now, she could see everything that was going through Yolei's mind.

Her breath hitched.

Yolei opened her eyes. "What is it?" she asked nervously, wondering if Sora sensed something bad.

"I feel a disturbance," Sora replied. "But I can't tell. I need you to concentrate and trust what you're shown."

Yolei nodded. "Okay."

She shut her eyes again and concentrated harder. In her mind, she found herself returning to that dark forest. The cold air made her shiver, and the darkness unsettled her.

A flash went through her mind, startling her. A blue lightsaber, followed by a familiar sneer and maniacal laughter. Yolei didn't notice that she was breathing heavily.

Sora rubbed Yolei's arms to try and goad her into relaxing. No matter what she tried, the younger girl was becoming distressed by whatever she was seeing.

"It's okay," she murmured softly. "Keep with it. Tell me what you see and feel."

Yolei shook her head violently. "No," she gasped. She brought her hand to her temple to alleviate the pain. "So much darkness. So much pain."

Sora frowned as Yolei opened her eyes and hugged her to settle her down. A tear went down the younger Jedi's cheek. The Jedi of Love rubbed her back comfortingly.

"So," she murmured. "It really was a vision."

"What makes you say that?" asked Yolei. "I thought Kari was the one with the visions."

Sora shook her head. "Not necessarily. Any Jedi can have one. The Force is mysterious, but it must have decided it was important to warn you."

"Warn me? Against what?" Yolei raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure it wasn't because I read that extra chapter of Chamber of Secrets before I went to bed?"

"This is not the time to be making jokes, Yolei," her master chided with a glare. "Not only did I feel a disturbance, your reaction said it all. Don't doubt the Force."

But Yolei wasn't sure that made sense. Things had become strange since they rescued Kari from being kidnapped by Ken, and Yolei was not sure what to make of things anymore.

"So basically it's the same as letting Fate decide?" she asked, her face twisting into a frown. "I'm sorry, Sora, but I'm not one to believe that fate decides everything. Whatever it is, I can stop it."

Sora was about to say something in retort when the door opened at that moment.

"Yolei, we need you down in the store," Mrs. Inoue said urgently. Several strands of her hair were out of place and her eyes were tired behind her glasses. They wandered from her daughter to the guest in the room.

She smiled. "Oh, hi Sora."

Sora smiled back and nodded her head. "Hello, Mrs. Inoue," she returned. "We're just finishing up."

"Good, because we need you down in the store, Yolei," said Mrs. Inoue. "Momoe just threw up and I brought her back up to rest. Since you're the only one here, we need you to come down and work."

"What? No!" Yolei protested. "Can't you call Mantarou or Chizuru and tell them to come back? I'm busy."

Her mother put her hands on her hips. "Doesn't look like you're busy right now. You're in this family too, you know. You have to help out when we ask you to. Don't give me an attitude."

"I'm not having an attitude!"

"Yes, you are!"

Yolei groaned and rolled her eyes. This was just perfect. As if this day couldn't get any worse. No matter. She knew how to get rid of her mother.

With a wave of her hand, she said, "Momoe can tough it out."

Just as she anticipated, her mother changed her tune as the mind trick worked like a charm.

"I guess I can try and get her to finish up," she said with a shrug.

Yolei smiled. "Thank you." With another wave of her hand, she added, "Now leave."

"Okay. I'll leave." Her mother closed the door behind her, leaving the two alone.

Yolei giggled at her work. The mind tricks never failed to work for her. It was so easy to influence her family to her will. They were such weak-minded fools compared to her.

But when she looked back at Sora, her devious smile was wiped away in an instant.

"What?" she asked under the icy glare the Jedi of Love was giving her.

"Are you serious?" Sora hissed with anger. "Being a Destined Jedi does not mean you can abuse your powers! Try that on the wrong person, and it might bite back."

Yolei snorted. Even under Sora's intense glare, she wasn't afraid to laugh.

"Hasn't failed me so far," she said. "Besides, my family is so weak minded. They're easy to manipulate. I don't use it all the time."

That answer wasn't enough to appease Sora's anger. It only made it worse. Right now, Sora wanted to strangle the girl so badly and put her in her place.

"Try this on for size," she seethed. "The role of the Destined Jedi is to represent stability and uphold the balance of Harmony in the Digital World. It's an honor to be given this gift!" Her eyes bore deep into Yolei's soul as her anger rose by the second. "As soon as we start to allow ourselves to misuse it for parlor tricks, we start to lose focus to the true responsibility we are trusted to uphold."

Yolei glared right back. She wasn't going to let Sora lecture her any further. All this time she had been hearing about why this was their responsibility, that it was their job to protect the Digital World, and she didn't understand why.

"But-" she said, but Sora cut her off.

"I don't want to hear your lame excuses!" she shouted, growing more animated in her fury. "The Force gave you a warning about something serious that is about to happen, and you're over here tricking your mom?! The Force is an ally. _Your _ally! What you decide to do with that information is up to you."

"And just what is that?" Yolei finally shouted back. "Why was I chosen? Why were _you _chosen for that matter?"

Sora was caught off guard by the question. Her anger died down briefly.

"No one knows why," she murmured. "Even now I'm not sure why." Her anger returned. "For whatever reason, the Force knows we have the means within us to help. The sooner you can get your act together and accept this, the sooner you can be prepared for what is about to happen. Or, may as well not bother being a Destined Jedi and risk endangering the team with your selfishness. Until you decide whether you can use your powers responsibly, you're suspended from going to the Digital World."

That tipped Yolei over the edge.

"Fine! I don't want to be on this stupid team anyway!" she hissed with uncontrollable anger. "My life will be calm, and happy, and joyful without having to defend a world that I don't even feel a part of. I never wanted this, but I was stuck with it."

Sora stood up from her seated position and marched right for the door. She took one last look at the girl.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," she shot. "I did everything in my power to help you, but it looks like it was for nothing. Goodbye, Yolei. I'll agree to train you again if you decide you want to be one of us and take things more seriously."

The door slammed shut behind her. As Sora walked away from the bedroom, she heard the sound of Yolei flopping on her bed and screaming into her pillow. A wave of regret washed over her. Maybe she was a little too hard on her, but Yolei was clearly using her powers for selfish reasons. It was inexcusable.

As she passed the kitchen, Mrs. Inoue looked up from the refrigerator and saw her.

"Leaving already, Sora?' she asked. "Would you like something real quick?"

Sora smiled and bowed apologetically. "Thank you, Mrs. Inoue, but I'm afraid I must be going," she said.

"Well, you know you are always welcome back anytime," the woman replied with a bow.

"I appreciate that, Mrs. Inoue."

* * *

Sora pounded her fist on the table.

"Grrrrr! That girl is driving me insane!" she growled.

Her mother sat across the dinner table from her. She listened intently while Sora explained what happened between her and Yolei. Mrs. Takenouchi had gone straight home from the flower shop and started dinner without changing, so she was still dressed in a kimono with her hair up in an extravagant do.

"I see," she murmured as she took a sip of tea.

"I don't know when Yolei decided to cop an attitude with me," Sora carried on. "She doesn't seem to want to listen to me anymore. I just want to strangle her every time we get together. I didn't have to agree to do this, but I did think she would be easy to work with."

_Bang! _Her face met the maple wood finish of the table and let out an exasperated sigh. The china rattled from the impact, but Mrs. Takenouchi was not perturbed.

The woman smiled as her daughter kept her face down.

"Honey," she said softly. "Remember when you wanted to keep that frog you and Tai found at the park a few years ago?"

Sora lifted her head up to meet her mother's gaze.

"Frog?" she asked. She dug through her memory bank for what her mother was talking about. She chuckled. "Oh, wow! Yes, I remember. You totally freaked out when I showed you."

The mother-daughter duo shared a laugh. Sora halted because she was confused about what her mother was getting at.

"But what does that have to do with Yolei?" she asked.

Mrs. Takenouchi replied with a smile. "What did I say when I was asked if we can keep it as a pet?" she replied.

Sora rubbed her index finger against her chin to remember what her mother had said. She and Tai were only seven when that happened, but compared to fourteen years old, it may as well have been another lifetime ago.

"Umm," she mused and then chuckled nervously. "I was so upset when you said no."

"Do you remember the exact words?"

Sora shrugged. "Not really. I was too upset."

"I said, '_Let's wait until you're older. That way we can make sure you'll remember to take care of it.'_" Mrs. Takenouchi said. "But you were so focused on the present moment, instead of the possible yes in the future, that you tried to sneak it back in with Tai."

"Oh yeah. I remember that."

"When I caught the both of you, did I scold you and Tai?"

Sora breathed heavily. "No," she said. "I was surprised you gave me a hug and told me not to do it again."

"Then the next day you tried it again with Matt," Mrs. Takenouchi smirked.

"We really don't need to go down memory lane," Sora blushed nervously, wanting to just end this conversation.

But her mother continued. "Then the next day with Izzy. Each time, I could have lashed out, but I gave you a hug and reminded you of my promise. It took several times for you to believe my word. What worked was patience and love."

Sora took a sip of her tea and ate a chopstick-full of rice. It sounded like good advice, but applying it was different in itself. She had given Yolei too many chances for the time they had been together, and this was the final straw for her.

"So you're saying that I need to have patience and show love and consistency to break through?" she said.

Mrs. Takenouchi nodded with a smile. "Yes."

Sora threw herself back on the cushion as she huffed in frustration. "But she's so annoying!"

"Sounds like someone I know."

Sora sat straight back up and glared at her giggling mother. "Hey!" she cried.

Mrs. Takenouchi raised her hand to her mouth to cut off her laughter.

"By the way, do you still want that frog?" she asked in amusement. "A promise is a promise."

Sora laughed nervously. "No. I think it's safe to say that we're good. Who needs a pet when I've got ten other people to worry about?"

"Good point," her mother pointed her chopsticks at her with a laugh. They finished their dinner. "Want some dessert? I got a cheesecake after work."

Sora's eyes lit up. "Vanilla bean?" she asked excitedly.

The woman winked at her. "Of course. I know it's your favorite."

"Thanks, Mom!"

* * *

Later that night, Matt had the feeling something was not right. In the back of his mind, he had the feeling that someone was distressed about something. He couldn't tell who, but he wasn't going to let it go.

He put his pen down while doing his homework and picked up his D-Terminal. He selected everyone's contacts and typed out a group message.

_Is everybody doing okay? It hasn't been that long since you all rescued Kari from Ken, so I'm just wanting to know you all are doing okay. _

He sent it, but his eyes lingered on Sora's contact on the screen. The nagging thought that Sora was involved somehow intensified. He decided to send her a separate message.

_Would you mind if I came by to talk to you real quick? I know it's late, but I need to talk to you. _

That message was also sent as his D-Terminal flooded with responses.

_Tai: Yeah. I'm okay. Why are you asking this? _

_Joe: All good. Just doing my homework. _

_Mimi: I'm fine. Getting a little lonely? XP_

_Izzy: Good. _

_TK: I'm just fine, brother. Need me to come on over and comfort you? XP_

_Kari: Thanks for checking in, Matt. I'm doing okay. _

_Cody: I'm fine. _

_Davis: It's all good. _

Yolei's response was lacking, but Matt just figured she was asleep by now. It was pretty late. He should probably start getting ready for bed too.

His D-Terminal buzzed and he received two messages from Sora.

_Sora1: I'm doing okay. _

_Sora2: Sure. You can come on over. I need to talk to you anyway._

Matt felt his cheeks flush. In a flash, he was out of his room and headed for the door to put his shoes on.

* * *

Yolei heard her D-Terminal buzz and rolled her eyes. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Ever since Sora left, she didn't come out of her room for anything. When her father knocked on the door for dinner, she said she wasn't hungry.

She checked the message.

_Matt: Is everybody doing okay? It hasn't been that long since you all rescued Kari from Ken, so I'm just wanting to know you all are doing okay. _

Yolei ignored it and didn't write a response back.

Who was Sora to say what she could and could not do? Sora never had to live with the circumstances she has to live under. She didn't know what it was like to be the youngest of four and be treated like she didn't exist sometimes. If she had, she would understand why Yolei did some of the things she did.

'_Who needs this stupid group anyway?' _she thought as she used the Force to turn the light off before flopping on her bed. _'I can figure this out just fine by myself. When I find Ken and destroy him, they'll look up to me instead.' _

Yolei fell asleep with that happy thought, imagining all the love and admiration she would get.

* * *

"Patience, love, and consistency, huh?" Matt scratched his head, unsure of the answer. Sora and he sat in her bedroom as he sipped on a bottle of water.

"She infuriates me!" Sora yelled into a pillow, then tossed it across the room. "I think we should get Mimi in on this. Maybe Yolei will respond better to her than she would to me."

Matt put his water down and laid his hands on hers. His throat went dry as his cheeks burned red. He hoped Sora would not notice.

"I know it's hard. Yolei has always been a bit…willful. I never really thought she would take this thing seriously."

Sora sighed, taking hold of his hands. "I'm not regretting my decision to train her, but gosh darn it, I do not want to help her if she's going to treat me like that. She needs to learn respect."

"I get it," he said, trying to keep his cool. He glanced at their hands as Sora tightened her hold. "I had a feeling something was going on, but I didn't know what it was. That's why I sent the group message out."

Sora glanced at her clock. "It's late. You should get home. Let's let Tai, Izzy, and Mimi know what we're going to do at school tomorrow."

"Wait," Matt held fast to her hands that were slipping away. He didn't want to let go so soon.

"What's up?"

Matt smirked. "As hard-headed as she is, don't you think she's infuriating because it's like talking to a mirror?"

"A mirror?" Sora repeated, unsure what he meant.

"Yeah. I remember someone always arguing with Tai and me when she was younger." His smirk widened.

"Hey!" Sora pulled her hands away to playfully smack his shoulder with a laugh. "I was a kid! Besides, I never abused the Force."

"True," he laughed, shielding himself from her hits. "But I bet my allowance that the Force has her with you so she can grow. You two are similar in that way."

Sora frowned as she listened.

Matt added, "I'll even go so far as to say that at this point if Mimi tries to help, Yolei might feel abandoned. It sounds like some underlying insecurity issues, and she really looks up to you."

"Do you think I was too harsh?"

"As a mentor," he shook his head, "no. But as a friend," Matt rested an arm around her shoulders, his head on hers as he softly answered, "yes."

She groaned in frustration. "I knew it. I think my mom is right. Hey, Matt?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for being my friend. I don't think I've ever said how much I appreciate you."

Matt pulled away with a blush and joked, "Well, uh, I kinda like you too."

She giggled. "Okay. So, like I said, we'll meet with the others to catch them up. I think you're right though."

Matt nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Yolei mumbled in her sleep as she turned over on the bed. Now lying on her stomach, she buried her face into her pillow. A small line of drool dripped out of her mouth and onto the fabric of the pillow.

"No…" she moaned, twisting over again. "No…Go away!"

OOF!

Yolei found herself on the floor now. Pain shot up the back of her head.

"Ow. Ow. Ow," she groaned as she rubbed the sore spot on her head. Yolei pulled her blanket up from the floor and went back to her bed to settle down.

_Bump!_

Yolei let out a yell and turned around in a karate stance at whoever was there. She reached out to sense the entire room, but she couldn't sense anything. The only source of light in the room came from the computer, which was strange because Yolei turned it off for the night before she went to bed.

"What the…" she murmured. She reached for her glasses to put them on and walked over to inspect the Sony VAIO computer. "What could have done this?"

Her question was answered a second later. The soft sounds of feet landing on the floor behind her alerted Yolei to the hidden presence in her room. Suddenly, an arm roughly wrapped itself around her neck and cut off her air supply.

Something warm and wet traced around the rim of her right ear, followed by a blast of warm air.

"Good evening, fraülein," a familiar voice breathed, followed by a devious snicker.

Yolei struggled against the hold, but her attacker held fast. She was then picked up and thrown violently onto her bed. Yolei opened her mouth to scream, but a gloved hand slammed against it before she could let out a sound.

Her eyes widened.

"Hello, Yolei_,_" The Digimon Emperor licked his front teeth like a predator sizing up its prey. "Or should I say _Miyako_."

Yolei squeaked in fear.

Ken frowned. "Stop your cringing. I'm not here to kill you." He drew the knife from his pocket and brandished it in front of her eyes.

Yolei's eyes widened as the knife blade glinted in the moonlight. She struggled in the Emperor's grip, but he was too strong to break away from.

Ken was getting annoyed with her thrashing. He didn't have a lot of time, so he had to act fast. Ken brought a hand up to Yolei's temple and used the Force to knock her out. Her body went limp on the bed.

"Sweet dreams, my princess," he snickered before picking her up over his shoulder. He went back to the computer and opened the gate.

* * *

**Well. O_O That just happened. What does Ken have up his sleeve this time? Will he be more successful with Yolei than he was with Kari? Stay tuned for part 2 on Attack of the Emperor. You will not want to miss it. **

**Hope the chapter was worth the wait, guys. Once I get part 2 of this chapter taken care of, we'll venture back into familiar territory and hopefully things will move smoother along. Thank you all for your support. I really mean that. You all are the reason why I put so much pressure on myself to deliver these in a timely manner. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you haven't. The best has yet to come. **


	16. (Un)Conditional Love Part 2

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: You are about to find out ;-)**

**honter11: That's quite okay. Thanks for reviewing. **

**Music Chick: Yes, the dreaded friend zone XD Like I told Ackbarfan, you're about to find out. **

**LightSpecter141: Well, I was annoyed with the fact she got no development in the series. I'm sure you'll like what I did. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Much appreciated. Hope you like it. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Yes she was XD Imagine being the youngest in the family and feeling ignored and then you are given this great power, you'd abuse it a little. We'll see if that happens in the future XD **

**Also want to thank Whiteling for the follow.**

* * *

**Well, that time sure got away from me. Hey, guys. I know I said I would be back on track, but time got away from me this time. Winding down with my semester now and I am coming back around to familiar stuff after this chapter where I can just watch the episode and turn some things around to my desires. We will be back on track after this chapter. I promise. Anyway, excuse my rant. For those that need a reminder, Yolei used a mind trick on her mother in front of Sora, sparking an argument between them. As Sora figures out how to repair the damage she has done, Ken appears in the real world and kidnaps Yolei.**

**Fair warning: This chapter contains some pretty dark sh*t, just so you are all aware. **

**This is long overdue, but on with the show!**

* * *

It was a fairly normal Thursday morning for the Inoue family as they gathered around the table for breakfast. An entire spread of rice, tamago omelets, miso soup, and coffee for the two heads of the family. It was a fairly big feast for a big family.

Mr. and Mrs. Inoue watched as Mantarou flicked his chopsticks at his sister Chizuru as she went for the last bit of salmon sashimi before taking it himself. Momoe, the oldest daughter, paid no attention to her siblings as she chowed down a chopstick full of rice and took a sip of tea.

"Stupid!" Chizuru whined to her brother. "Who said you got the last bit of salmon? Did it have your name on it or something?"

"Shut up, Zuru," Mantarou rolled his eyes. At twenty years old, he was the oldest of the Inoue children and took great pleasure in teasing his sisters. As the lone male in a sea of women, aside from his father, he had to let them know who was boss. "You snooze, you lose, kiddo," he teased before placing it into his mouth.

"Momoe! Help me out here!" Chizuru set her eyes on her older sister, begging her for some assistance.

Momoe shrugged indifferently. "Don't get me involved, Zuru. I'm not in the mood for this today."

Chizuru puffed out her cheeks and slouched in her chair with a pout.

Mr. Inoue sipped his coffee as he read the newspaper. Always straight black, just the way he liked it. His family thought he was crazy drinking it that way, but they eventually let it be. His spectacled eyes glanced over the top of the business section to the empty chair next to him for just a second.

Suddenly, he realized something: The youngest member of the family was missing.

"Where's Yolei?" he asked the entire table. "I haven't heard her around yet."

Mrs. Inoue looked down at her watch. It was just past 7:30. While Yolei certainly had a tendency to sleep in late, she was always up and going around this time. Though sometimes that depended on what she had been doing the night before.

She looked at her three older children curiously. "Have any of you seen her this morning?" she asked.

"Nope," Mantarou shook his head before sipping his miso soup. "Not a single peep from her."

Chizuru shrugged. "Maybe she decided to leave for school early for a change."

Mantarou burst out laughing. "Yolei getting up early to go to school? Yeah right!" he howled. "The only time I've ever seen her get up this early is if she was dragged out of her room kicking and screaming."

"No, that was you," Chizuru bit back.

Momoe put her tea down and replied with, "Yolei's been acting really weird since the school year started, and I think Sora may be a reason for it. Ever since she started coming around, Yolei's been different."

"Why didn't she say anything if she was leaving early?" Mr. Inoue asked. Red flags were going up in his mind.

"Who knows," Momoe shrugged. "Yolei's weird like that."

"I would have at least appreciated her telling us," her mother said. She excused herself from the table and went for Yolei's bedroom door to check.

"Oh, honey. I'm sure she wanted to tell us, but forgot," her husband called after her.

"Better to be safe than sorry, dear," Mrs. Inoue replied before opening the door just a tad. Inside, the room was empty with no trace of Yolei in sight. With her suspicions eased, she closed the door and rejoined her family at the table.

"Nobody home," she reported. "If she talks to either of you today, kindly remind her to let us know when she's leaving early."

"Okay, Mom," the three siblings chorused.

Mantarou got up from the table and put his dishes away before grabbing his schoolbag. He was a second year at Waseda University in Tokyo, and studied business management. He kissed his mother on the cheek and went for the door.

"See you guys," he called as he opened the door and left for the train station.

"Have a good day," his parents called after him.

Chizuru and Momoe both left soon after. Mrs. Inoue looked back inside Yolei's room to make absolutely sure that her assumption had been correct. Yolei was nowhere to be found. With that assurance, Mrs. Inoue joined her husband in going down to the store to start the day.

* * *

The lunch bell rang right at twelve noon like it always did. The sound may as well have been the alarm to let the hounds loose because students rushed from their classes straight to the cafeteria for their daily nourishment. There was a lunch special in the cafeteria today: Curry udon noodles with shrimp tempura. It was all the students had been talking about all day.

"_Curry udon,_" Tai sang joyously as he got up from his desk. "_Curry udon._"

He skipped across the floor as he hummed the tune to himself. His mouth salivated as the taste imprinted itself on his tongue. But before he got his foot out the door, Sora grabbed him by his arm and pulled him back. His voice hitched in his throat as he was suddenly held back.

"Nope," she shook her head. "You're coming with me. We're going up to the roof."

"But, Sora!" he whined. "Curry udon. With tempura!"

Sora sighed sharply. "I'll buy you a bowl later. This is important."

"What's important?"

Sora glanced around the room to see if anyone else was still lingering around. To her relief, all the other students in the room had either left for the cafeteria or went somewhere else to eat their lunch.

Tai quickly caught on.

"Does this have to do with the message Matt sent out last night?" he asked, to which she nodded. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you on the way," Sora said as she led him off to the stairwell near the classroom.

* * *

"Yolei seriously did that?" Tai nearly shouted after Sora told him everything that happened. They had two more flights of stairs to go up before they reached the roof, and no one was around.

"Yes," Sora nodded. "Apparently she's been doing that for a while now. I did everything I could to help her, but she thinks she knows everything. I almost gave up on her, but Matt and I developed a plan on what to do."

Tai couldn't believe it. Yolei had been using mind tricks on her family for her own selfish reasons? It was pretty surprising. He couldn't say he condemned her completely because he had to use one to convince Mr. Fujiyama to let the bus drop them off in Hikarigaoka, but that was for a greater purpose.

"So that's why Matt sent the message out last night?" he asked. "All because he thought something was going on with Yolei?"

"Yeah," Sora replied as she reached for the door handle. "He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know who was the center of it."

Tai looked deep into her eyes with the firmest expression she had ever seen from him. It was Tai's serious face. The one where she knew he was not going to let something go until it was resolved.

"I promise you, Sora. We're gonna figure this out," he assured her. "Yolei's the one in the wrong, not you."

She sighed. "I know. But I still can't help but feel she doesn't want to see me again."

Tai chuckled and lightly slapped her shoulder. "Of course not. Don't be so dramatic. She'll get over it."

Sora opened the door to the roof. There was hardly a breeze that day, which only compounded the misery of the hot July afternoon. The sun beat mercilessly down on the rooftop. Tai felt the bottom of his shoes burn from the sunbaked tiles on the roof.

"Hey!"

The two Destined Jedi looked up and saw Matt, Izzy, and Mimi all standing nearby. The Jedi of Sincerity was fanning herself with her hand while Izzy wiped sweat from his brow and took a sip of oolong tea.

"It's so hot!" Mimi moaned, panting like a dog.

"Want some tea?" Izzy offered the bottle to her. Mimi accepted the offer and took a big swig of tea.

"This won't take long, you guys. I promise," Matt assured them as Tai and Sora joined them. "How's it going?"

Tai glared at him. "Bad," he replied. "I'm missing curry udon day in the cafeteria right now. What's this plan you guys figured out?"

Matt shut his eyes and took a breath. He glanced over at Sora, urging her to go on and say something first. She nodded.

"We were thinking that all of us should go by her house and talk to her," she said. "If she sees we all don't approve of her behavior, then maybe she'll be more willing to listen. It'll be much more impactful than if I just confronted her."

Tai frowned. "So this is an intervention?"

"You could call it that," Matt nodded. "If Yolei's going to continue to be rebellious like this, we need to stop it as soon as possible. Ken is probably waiting for a crack in our armor to exploit so he can divide us and eventually kill us. We can't let Yolei be that crack."

"Don't you think you guys are being a little too hard on her?" Mimi asked. "She's still fairly new to this."

"She used mind tricks on her family," Sora narrowed her eyes. "She lied to me about promising to be responsible with the Force. Knowing that was the final straw for me."

Izzy blinked. "Yeah, that's bad," he agreed. "I've known Yolei a long time, guys. She's never really had it easy at home being the youngest of four. Her family doesn't give her that much attention, so she does crazy things like this to get it."

Matt smirked at Sora. "What did I tell you?" he said. "Insecurity issues."

"What should we do, Izzy?" Tai asked. "You know her better than any of us."

Izzy's hand covered his mouth as he rubbed it along his face in thought. "I agree with Matt and Sora. I think we need to all talk to her and straighten her out. If she continues to be like this, we would have no choice but to cut her loose."

Mimi bristled at the thought of them having to possibly kick Yolei out of the group. She hoped they could help her before it ever got to that.

"That would just be letting her out on her own," Matt said. "She would still be able to use the Force to do whatever she wants. The only way it would send the message home is if we ask Gennai to convince Homeostasis to take away her powers."

"I think so too," Tai nodded in agreement. "That should be complete last resort though. We'll all get together after school and talk about how we're going to do this. We are not going to let Yolei off the hook so easily." He looked down at his watch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bowl of curry udon waiting for me in the cafeteria."

Tai tore off to the door before either of the Jedi could stop him and slammed it shut. His four fellow Jedi were amazed at how quickly he left.

"Did we switch powers or something?" Matt breathed, his eyes wide.

* * *

Yolei woke up feeling dizzy. Her head spun like it had been through the rinse cycle of the washing machine. She barely saw two feet in front of her, and whatever she did see was double. What had she been doing last night? It was as blurry as her vision was right now.

As her vision cleared up, she moved her arm to reach for her glasses.

She gasped.

Her arms weren't moving as commanded.

Yolei's eyes snapped open in shock. Something scratched roughly along her back as she struggled in her bindings. The rough edges of tree bark poked against the thin material of her nightshirt, making Yolei feel as though she was laying on a bed of a thousand needles.

A chilly wind blew across her body. If her arms weren't bound, Yolei would have tucked them in tight to give her warmth. Looking at her surroundings, Yolei's face went pale. She was in a forest. The same forest that had been in her dream.

"Ah, good. You're awake."

The Destined Jedi turned at attention and saw Ken standing in front of her. Past his sunglasses, she could see the deviant twinkle in his eyes. Terror shot through her. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but Ken quickly covered it with his gloved hand.

"Ah, ah, ah," he teased admonishingly. "Don't scream. You're not in any danger, my sweet."

"MMMPH MMMPH MMMMPH?!" Yolei's cry was muffled by Ken's hand. She did not believe a word of what he said, thinking it was just his way of lowering her guard before he ran his saber through her.

"I will only remove my hand if you promise you won't scream," Ken sashayed around the tree to whisper in her ear, "You don't want to provoke me, now do you?" He flicked his tongue lightly against her earlobe.

Shivers went down Yolei's spine at the contact. It was unnerving, but also thrilling. While his exterior was rough, Ken's touch was comforting. Almost seductive in a way. Yolei had imagined what being loved by Ken would be like many times in her deepest fantasies, but never did she imagine it being like this. She quickly settled down enough for him to let go of her mouth.

"Why did you take me, Ken?" she glared at him. "What are you planning this time?"

Ken's devious smirk lightened. It looked more like the warm, friendly smile of a friend than that of a sadistic captor. His hand went into his pocket. Yolei turned away, thinking he would pull out the knife he showed before.

Something slid over her ears and rested on the bridge of her nose. She opened her eyes and everything was much clearer this time. Yolei's glasses were now on her face. She looked at Ken in shock.

"That's not all," he said with a wink. He pulled a rose out from behind his back. "I would much appreciate it if you would be my guest for dinner. It's going to be a roaring feast."

"You're crazy!" Yolei responded immediately.

"I'm not," Ken's eyebrow twitched, like he was ready to strike her across the face, but he kept himself under control. "No, I'm not. What kind of captor would I be if I didn't take care of my prisoner?"

"I don't need you take care of me. Just let me go!"

"Nope. You will be my guest at dinner, and that is that. You don't have a choice, Miyako."

Yolei's eyes widened. He used her real name. How did he know it? Then she remembered that he knew everything there was to know about all of them. He wasn't a genius for nothing. An evil genius, but he was still a genius.

"Would you like for me to kill you?" he sneered. "Is that what you're saying? I mean, I understand that it must be hard for you to be ignored by your family all the time, but –"

"How do you know about that?" Yolei shot hoarsely. Her voice trembled as she said it.

Ken chuckled lowly. "I am insulted that you would grossly underestimate me like that, Miyako."

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not? It means 'beautiful night.' I think it suits you perfectly.'" Ken moved in closer to her face until the tips of their noses rubbed against each other. "And you are most certainly beautiful. The most interesting girl I have ever met."

Yolei's face broke out in a blush. Even though Ken was a fiend, to get a compliment from him was something she yearned for. His hand held up a lock of her lavender hair and he stroked it.

"Your lavender hair intrigues me," he muttered seductively, raising it to his nose and taking a sniff. "Mmm. So lovely. If only there were more girls like you, ones that were as fiery and headstrong as you."

His words weakened Yolei's resolve even more. He was saying exactly the things she was hoping to hear. She had never been popular with the boys growing up, and always felt like she was out of place. Now, she was the apple of Ken's eye, the one boy she had hoped would notice her.

"I will repeat my offer again," he said, drawing his knife again. He brought it up to her face, but used it to brush away a lock of hair. "Will you join me for dinner? I would like to learn more about you, Yolei. I can read your thoughts. I know you would like to know more about me too."

Yolei could not help herself. Ken's smooth words were enough to overpower her twelve-year-old mind. She nodded and said, "Yes. I will join you for dinner."

Ken smiled. "Splendid. I will show you that I am more than what you see. We all wear masks over who we truly are. Including you. You are free to share the side of you that you hide with me, and I shall do the same with you."

He backed away from her and disappeared off into the trees at the speed of a flashing light.

Yolei's face still burned with blush, Ken's words ringing in her ears like church bells. She didn't know what he had in store for her, but it was going to be interesting to find out.

* * *

Mrs. Inoue looked from the clock to the door. She frowned deeply. Where was Yolei? She was supposed to be coming to work at the store after school. So far, she was ten minutes late. Yolei had done things before to try and get out of doing her shift, but nothing like this.

'_Where is she?' _

All three of her older children returned home on time. She asked each of them if they had heard from Yolei, and got three 'no's in response. Mrs. Inoue understood that the youngest of the family always had computer club activities going on, but she knew before that she had to work today. If this was Yolei's way of getting back at her for yesterday, she was not going to let it go this time.

Mrs. Inoue looked at her husband as he stocked up shelves.

"Dear, have you heard from Yolei at all today?" she asked.

"No, I haven't," Mr. Inoue replied, piling the packages of melon pan onto the shelf. "Have you heard from her?"

"No."

The man looked over at the clock.

"She's late!" he exclaimed. "Have any idea where she can be? If she's skipping out again, she's going to be in big trouble when she gets home."

"I'll give her a call and see where she is," Mrs. Inoue said as she picked up the telephone next to her on the counter.

Her fingers furiously typed the number for her daughter's cell phone. She gripped the receiver tightly in her hand, almost like she wanted to snap it in half. The line toned four times.

"_Hey! It's Yolei. I'm not available right now, but leave me a message and I'll call you right back. Perfecto!" _

Mrs. Inoue wanted to chuck the telephone straight across the store as the call went to voicemail.

"Yolei, where are you? You were supposed to work the shift after school. Wherever you are, get over here now! I'm not playing games here, young lady." Mrs. Inoue slammed the phone down, letting out a growl of frustration.

Her husband noticed.

"Everything okay?" he asked. "Did you get ahold of her?"

"No. It went straight to voicemail," she replied.

"How about calling her friends? Maybe they'll know where she is."

A terrorized scream filled the air. Mr. and Mrs. Inoue looked at the door and saw Chizuru slam it behind her. Her eyes were wide with terror.

"MOM! DAD!" she screamed, rushing right into her parents' arms.

"What is it, Chizuru?" her mother asked, stroking her daughter's head.

The middle Inoue daughter struggled to find her words due to her terror. The first things out of her mouth sounded like gibberish until she found her voice.

"Come upstairs now," she breathlessly said. "You have to see this. It's in Yolei's room."

That grabbed her parents' attention. The two put everything down and ran upstairs with their daughter.

* * *

"Are you guys sure we should be doing this?" Davis asked as the Destined Jedi walked down past the beach toward Yolei's apartment building. "We could just take care of this at school tomorrow."

"There's no time to wait for that," replied Matt. "We have to stop this thing before it gets even worse."

Sora bit her lip and exhaled through her nose. "It's my fault," she said. "I didn't pay attention to what was going on with her. If I had, things wouldn't be what they are now. She probably hates me."

Tai wrapped his arm around her. "Don't say that, Sora," he said softly. "Yolei knowingly acted irresponsibly with the power she was given. Nothing you said would have affected that."

Sora felt her face grow warm from his gaze.

"Anyway," Matt frowned, breaking the moment up. "Here's the plan. We are going to go in there and talk with her. Depending on what frame of mind Yolei's in, we may have to be a bit forceful with her."

"Don't you think you're being a little extreme, Matt?" asked TK. "She doesn't know any better. I think we should just let her off with a warning."

Matt glared at him. "She knowingly used mind tricks on her family for her own selfish purposes, TK! I think that deserves more than just a simple warning."

"Matt's right," Joe agreed. "How can we trust Yolei to do the right thing when she can't control her own impulses? The only way we are going to defeat Ken is if we are all on the same page."

Cody looked down at his shoes and bit his lip. He was conflicted about the whole thing because Yolei was one of his closest friends. He didn't want to seem like he was ganging up on her for no reason. Knowing her, she would definitely take it personally.

Joe noticed the boy's body language.

"Something wrong, Cody?" he asked.

Cody shook his head. "No. Nothing's wrong."

Kari knew he was lying. She felt the tension within him.

"I know you don't want to step on anyone's toes, Cody, but we have to do this," she said, kneeling down to his level. "It's nothing personal."

Cody was still unsure about the whole thing, but he reluctantly nodded. The group continued on towards the building. The streets were pretty deserted around this time, so they had no trouble making their way down.

"Hold on a second," said Davis. "I haven't seen Yolei at all today."

"That's right!" TK exclaimed. "She didn't walk to school with me and Cody this morning."

At that moment, the sirens of police cars reached the group's collective ears. Two patrol cars sped down the street. A bad feeling went over the Jedi, only encouraging them to run faster to the towering building. Something didn't feel right.

When the Jedi got to the building, the police were already cordoning off the front door and entrance to the convenience store. People passing by stopped to see what was going on. The lights on police cruisers glowed almost blindingly. None of the kids knew what to think.

"Please tell me that someone is threatening to commit suicide," Tai groaned, afraid of what the answer was.

"Tai!" Kari chastised him. "That's a terrible thing to say!"

Sora's stomach sank. Somewhere in her heart, she knew that this involved Yolei. But what?

"Sora!"

The auburn-haired Jedi looked up and saw Mrs. Inoue come dashing towards her. The woman was out of breath and bent over to get air into her lungs. Her hair was messy and out of place.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Inoue?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"I had a feeling you would be here," said Mrs. Inoue, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the building. "You and your friends might want to see this."

"Where's Yolei? Is she okay?"

"I don't know. Come on."

The rest of the Jedi followed them into the building until a police officer temporarily halted their progress.

"Whoa. Hold it," the officer said.

"It's okay, officer. They're with me," Mrs. Inoue informed him, and the officer let them pass.

Rather than taking the elevator, they went up the stairs to the Inoues' apartment. The disturbance in the Force grew with every step that they took. If Yolei's family didn't know where she was, then it explained why the Jedi didn't know either.

Finally, they reached the apartment and went inside. Detectives were interviewing Mantarou and Momoe in the living room, while two others comforted Chizuru and asking her what she saw. She wore a blanket around her body after going into shock. Mr. Inoue was speaking with another detective.

"What happened here?" Sora asked.

"Yolei didn't make it to her shift today," Mrs. Inoue replied. "I was going to call you, but Chizuru came screaming hysterically into the store. She told us what she saw and we came up here to check." She pointed to Yolei's bedroom door, which was sectioned off with police tape. "It's right in there."

Tai took the first step toward the room and ducked under the police tape. The officers were too busy with the family members to notice him walk in. The rest of the group followed one at a time.

The room looked untouched. The bed sheets were still ruffled from a body sleeping in it, which they assumed to be Yolei. The computer was resting, but that wasn't abnormal. Other than that, there was no evidence of a break in or a struggle. The group started to think this was a cruel prank just to get back at them.

Until they got a glimpse of the far right wall.

"Oh my God!" Tai gasped with wide eyes.

Kari screamed. Mimi covered her mouth and ran out of the room to throw up. Joe almost fainted, but kept himself upright. Everyone else stood in stunned silence, unable to believe what they were seeing.

What looked like blood was smeared on the wall. Some of the substance dripped down towards the floor. A message was written in it.

_Her skeleton will stay with me forever._

There was only one person they all thought would do something like this. Ken. The fact Yolei was nowhere to be found and there was nothing left behind implicated him in Yolei's disappearance.

Izzy went out of the room to take care of Mimi and talk to Yolei's parents in hopes for getting more information. Everyone else continued to stare at the message on the wall in horror and fascination.

"Is that…" Davis felt his stomach dance and twist, like he was ready to be sick himself. "Blood?"

"I hope not," Tai replied.

The Jedi of Courage stepped forward to inspect the substance. He slid his finger along the wall to catch one of the droplets that was dripping down. His finger raised to his nose and he sniffed it. There wasn't the usual copper smell that was associated with blood, but he had to be sure. Tai dabbed his tongue on his finger a couple of times.

"Ketchup," he muttered as the familiar taste of tomato registered with his taste buds. He wiped the small smear on his pants to get rid of it before speaking aloud to everyone behind him. "It's alright. It's just ketchup."

"No way!" TK gasped and stepped forward to take a sample for himself.

Matt joined him and copied what Tai had just done. After analyzing it and giving it a taste, his eyes narrowed. A growl escaped his throat.

"What an ass," he murmured.

Davis sighed in relief after sniffing the wall. "The guy needs a new hobby," he said.

Sora became more upset.

"Great," she slumped down to the floor. "As if things couldn't get any worse."

"What do we do now, Tai?" Matt asked as he clenched and unclenched his hands. Tai could tell that he wanted to take his anger out on Ken for this.

"We find a way to the Digital World and get Yolei back," the leader said right away.

"But we can't go to the warehouse at this rate," Matt replied. "There's cops all over the building. Someone's going to spot us leaving and find us suspicious."

Mimi and Izzy came back into the room. Mimi was hunched over, groaning heavily with her arm wrapped around Izzy's shoulder. TK informed them on what they discovered. Even with it not being blood, Mimi still looked sick to her stomach.

Tai looked down at Davis right beside him.

"Looks like this is an emergency," he said with a wink.

Davis grew excited. Tai was giving him permission to use a portal to get to the Digital World.

"You've got it, Tai," the boy gave him a wink back.

* * *

Yolei gazed in wide-eyed wonder at the spread laid out before her. Oven-roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, pickled vegetables, miso soup, and many other tasty morsels were laid out on the long dining room table. A voice in the back of her mind told her to keep her guard up. Ken may have poisoned the food, it told her. Even so, her mouth watered heavily with all the smells that wafted up her nose.

A dining room table in the middle of a forest was odd. It was something that was never a regular sight, except in stories. Then it hit her. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, the image of the mad tea party from _Alice in Wonderland _emerged_. _The only thing missing was all the teakettles and cups. A wine glass was placed to the upper left corner of the plate. Knife, salad fork, dinner fork, spoon; all arranged in their proper place on the napkin they rested on.

Ken sat across from her in the seat at the head of the table. His hand rose to his face and rested over his chin. His eyes gleamed, smiling at the sight of the girl.

"I appreciate you joining me for dinner this evening, Miyako," he said. "Sit down. Sit. I have prepared a lovely feast for us. Eat to your heart's content."

"Not like I had much of a choice," Yolei muttered as she sat down in the seat across from him. Even from there, it felt like he was miles away from her. She figured it was probably a good thing that he was so far way. At least he couldn't reach out to strangle her. What was his motive for asking her to dinner? It had to be something big.

"Why so serious, my sweet?" Ken snickered. "You look tense. You don't have to be afraid of me. I know something that will help put you at ease." He snapped his fingers. Soothing, orchestral music played from a stereo that was nearby. Yolei immediately felt like she was dining at a fancy restaurant. "There. Does that help?"

Yolei glared at him, giving no answer. Instead, she piled a little bit of everything onto a plate and started chowing away. Ken took the silence in stride and used the Force to put food on his plate, small portions of course.

"Would you like some wine?" he asked, already pouring a glass for himself.

"Can't drink that," Yolei shook her head. "We're too young."

Ken's brow furrowed. "Don't be so bourgeois," he hissed. "The laws of the human world do not exist here. You can do whatever you want. I _insist _you have a glass of wine with me."

The wine bottle floated across the table toward her. Yolei looked at it for a second before she hesitantly nodded. Ken nodded with a smile as the bottle tipped over to pour the white liquid into her glass.

Yolei sniffed the rim of the glass before taking a small sip. The taste was tangy and slightly sweet, but with a fruity finish. It was better than she thought it would be. The two sat in silence. Ken took small bites of his food while Yolei ate like she had not eaten in days. To have a meal all to herself was something she never knew before.

Ken smirked. He reached out to probe into her mind and saw everything.

"You know, I was never always like this," he said, folding his hands on top of the table. "I used to be such a happy little kid. You know how when you're young, everything seems new and wonderful with endless possibilities? Life was something to behold in wonder. There's nothing like the innocence of youth."

Yolei cocked an eyebrow.

"You look surprised," Ken noted.

"What happened to you?" she asked. "How did you get to be the Digimon Emperor?"

Ken chuckled slightly and took a sip from his glass. "That's quite an interesting story," he replied. "But I want to hear about you first, Yolei. How does a gal like you end up in a place like this? What makes you be the Jedi you are now?"

Yolei sighed. These were things that she didn't even open up to Sora about. Even so, she felt like Ken would understand more than anyone else. She told him everything about her family and the lack of attention she got from them, the fact that she only acted out to get attention from not only them, but her friends too, and the recent argument with Sora. Ken sat and listened to everything, though he knew all of it already from probing her mind. Yolei was amazed at how good of a listener he was. It was something she was not used to.

"You and I are not so different after all, Miyako," Ken said once she finished her sob story. It made him want to howl with laughter at how pathetic it was. This was going to be too easy. "You wear a mask to hide your pain," he smirked. "Just like me."

"We're nothing alike," Yolei shot him down. "I am not like you. You're a psychopath who tortures defenseless creatures for pleasure."

The air fell still. Ken's eye twitched, and Yolei worried that he would snap and rip her to shreds.

But Ken said in a slow, shaky voice, "And here I went to all this trouble to provide you with a wonderful meal. This is the thanks I get? Don't you know it's not gracious to insult one's host?"

His hand squeezed the wine glass so hard that it shattered in his grip. Yolei's eyes widened at the sight of blood dripping from cuts in his glove, but Ken did not notice.

"You know, your siblings remind me of my brother," said Ken. Suddenly, he jumped out of his chair and was in front of Yolei in less than a second. She shrieked in surprise at how quickly he got there. He grabbed the back of her head roughly.

"I _hated _my brother," he snarled. The knife was withdrawn from his pocket and rested against the corner of her lip. Yolei seized up at the feeling of the cold blade, but did not move. "My brother was a fiend. He would hit me for no reason, experiment on me. He abused me every way you could think of. Every time I begged Mommy to do something about it, she never would. My brother was the perfect angel that could do no wrong in her eyes. Nobody ever cared about poor little Kenny."

For the slightest of moments, Yolei thought she could see a flash of sadness in his eyes. Ken definitely had some things that he was hiding.

"But then one day, I finally had enough. I took the kitchen knife early one morning and I ended all of it. He screamed loudly, of course, as I savagely butchered him, but the pillow I put over him didn't let our parents hear. He died instantly. I felt liberated, like I was finally free of his torture. Blood was scattered all over. It took them months to clean the room out," the evil glint in his eye brightened. "Do you remember the story of the Manson murders? How the three Manson Family murderers savagely butchered Sharon Tate and her friends? It was that kind of scene."

Yolei's face was pale white in horror. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. What scared her the most was how callous and happy Ken sounded when he talked about it. Like it was the thing he was most proud of over his life.

Ken laughed maniacally, the sound of his laugh echoing across the trees. It was so cold that Yolei felt chills run down her spine.

"You see, Miyako, the urge to survive is a basic instinct," he hissed, sounding like a snake. "A basic instinct that all creatures have inside of them, including humans. These Digimon as you and your…_friends_ call them, they are no different. They have the urge to survive deep inside them too, just like animals. And like normal animals, they will kill each other to survive because they know if they don't kill, they will be killed too. You can't fight it. As I have learned over my life, humans are no different. They are driven by their own selfish desires and would sell each other out to satisfy them. Their selfishness disgusts me. The human heart is easily corrupted."

"You're insane!" Yolei shot.

_SLAP! _

Her head snapped to the side.

"That's what you think," Ken said slowly, poking the knife into her cheek. "You pesky Jedi like to proclaim yourselves the guardians of balance and the keepers of peace, but I know better. These creatures are nothing but animals. The Digital World would be uninhabitable if these creatures were left to their own devices. Someone needs to bring them to heel and rule with an iron fist." He briefly paused. "That's what I'm doing. I am the master of this world, and soon I will remake it in my own image. We will be the gods this time. You and me, Miyako.

"I have been watching you closely these past few weeks. I know the real you because you and I are so much alike; we are both ignored by our families as the youngest children, and you have the urge to kill to get your way. Become my Empress, and we can make things the way we want them. We can reset this world. Help me bring these creatures to heel. To let them know who their masters are! You can be greater than you ever imagined! Rule here with me, and you'll never have to go home and be nobody again."

"I would never do that!" Yolei shot back. "I'm nothing like you!"

She shoved him off. Some plates shattered and food was sent flying once Ken hit the tabletop. He cackled loudly, which unnerved Yolei even more as he got up.

"You have some fight in you," he gasped between laughs. "I like that."

"Then you're gonna love me," a gruff voice snarled.

Ken turned at the source of the voice and was met with a violent punch to the face. He flew off the table and hit the ground as lightsabers emerged from their casings. Ken pounded the ground in anger. The Jedi had found them.

"Get up, Ken!" Sora grabbed him by his collar. She pointed the tip of her lightsaber blade right under his chin.

Matt stormed forward and punched Ken in the face again. Sora kept him in place as the Jedi of Friendship glared knives into him.

"Alright, you little turd nugget," he snarled, laying his lightsaber just beside Ken's neck. "Game's up. Stop running. You're surrounded with nowhere to run. Don't think you can get out of this one."

Kari, Mimi, and Cody all huddled around Yolei to make sure she was okay. Tai, Davis, Izzy, Joe, and TK stood by as backup for Matt and Sora in case Ken decided to try and escape. The Emperor stood with his hands up defensively.

"You got me," he said with a smirk. "You don't have to worry. I did not do anything to the girl."

"Shut up," Matt shot back, pressing his forehead against Ken's. "You're coming back to the real world with us. You kidnapped Yolei and held her prisoner. That's more than enough reason to take you back with us. Try anything funny, and we'll kill you."

"Don't worry. I won't try anything."

Tai and TK stepped forward to assist with escorting him out. As they did, Ken saw his opportunity and seized it.

Sora cried out as Ken smashed his elbow into her face, freeing him from her grip. When Matt went to help out, Ken ducked under a swift stroke of his lightsaber and punched him in the groin. Everything happened so fast that everyone was too stunned to act. Tai and TK were both kicked in the face, tumbling to the ground like falling trees.

Davis jumped in to engage Ken in combat before he could do anything to the fallen Jedi. Their exchange was so fast that their lightsabers were blue blurs to the eye. Izzy and Joe helped, but Ken did not mind the fact he was outnumbered. In fact, he was thrilled by it.

He grabbed Davis by the throat and threw him at Tai. Izzy struck fast, but Ken twisted him up so he could wrap his arm around the computer genius's neck. He grabbed Izzy's wrist with his other hand and with both his saber and Izzy's, he blocked Joe and Cody's attacks. Ken let Izzy go and pushed him into the other two Jedi before using the Force to push them back into tree trunks. The three fell to the ground.

Ken turned at Mimi and Kari, who stood by Yolei protectively. But just as he was going to pounce on them, someone else jumped on top of him and wrapped their arms around his neck.

"Stop right now, Ken," Sora ordered.

"Get off me, you wretched Jedi!" he snarled, reaching up to grab her hair.

Sora hissed in pain, but held on for dear life until Ken finally overpowered her. He bent down and forced her off of him. Once Sora let go, he reactivated his lightsaber. As did she. The two exchanged several strikes before their sabers finally locked together.

"Yolei has told me things, Sora," he sneered. "Things that she said she would never tell you."

"Why do you care?" she growled, using all her strength to push his saber back. The lock broke, and she went on the offensive. But his words were enough to have an effect on Sora because her technique became sloppy.

"It was your failure as her master that caused this to happen," Ken resumed when their sabers locked together again. "She hates you. She told me herself."

"SHUT UP!" Sora shouted, refusing to believe what he was saying. "YOU'RE WRONG!"

Ken's eyes narrowed until his eyebrows hurt. He broke their lock so suddenly that Sora was briefly stunned. That second proved to be fatal.

The Jedi of Love grunted as something embedded itself in her abdomen. Her eyes squinted shut as the pain overwhelmed her. Blood shot from her mouth while Ken sadistically smirked, twisting the blade deeper into her. His knife became tainted with her blood as it seeped onto the blade.

"Now die," Ken hissed and withdrew the blade. Sora held her hands to her abdomen and collapsed to the ground.

"SORA!" Everyone screamed, rushing to her side.

Yolei felt like she was watching this from afar, rather than actually seeing it in front of her. Everything went silent and moved in slow motion as Tai and Matt were the first ones by Sora's side. Her body shook and went numb.

She glanced over at Ken with shock. He grinned and waved at her before disappearing into the forest before she could do anything to stop him.

"JOE!" Matt screamed while hyperventilating.

The Jedi of Reliability came right to his side and inspected Sora. Mimi started to cry. Everyone else watched in horror, feeling powerless to do anything to help. That did not stop Yolei from stepping forward and kneeling down next to Sora, tears stinging her eyes.

"Keep it held down. KEEP IT HELD DOWN!" Tai screamed as Joe and Matt applied pressure to a piece of cloth over the hole in Sora's abdomen. "Sora, you're not gonna die on us. You're not gonna die!"

Sora looked up at Yolei. The light in her eyes was fading away.

"I'm so sorry, Sora," she whimpered, the tears now falling freely from her eyes. "This is all my fault. I didn't mean anything I said."

The Jedi of Love used what little strength she had left to smile at Yolei.

"It's alright," she whispered hoarsely. "It was my fault for not being as understanding of you as I should have been." Sora paused to cough up blood. "You're a great girl, Yolei. I'm proud to have trained you. I love you."

Yolei suddenly felt like the Grinch. Her heart swelled up a few more sizes inside of her chest at Sora's words. She didn't want things to end like this. It couldn't. She pleaded with the Force to give her a way to make Sora live.

'_Please, Force! Please give me a way to help her! I won't ask for anything else. I'll give anything. Just help me save Sora's life.' _

A red light glowed brightly on Yolei's wrist. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at what was happening. The girl looked down at her wrist and saw the Symbol of Love glowed brightly than it ever had. Something then told her to put her hand on top of Sora's wound.

"Excuse me," she muttered, nudging Joe away.

The group watched hopefully as Yolei rested her hand on top of the knife wound in Sora's abdomen. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on putting energy into her hand, laying her other hand on top of it to help increase the flow of Force energy.

After ten seconds, Sora's breathing stabilized. Her eyes stopped fluttering. She felt like a new woman.

Yolei removed her hands from Sora's stomach to examine her work. The wound was gone, like it was never even there to begin with. She smiled proudly at her work.

Tai and Matt sighed with relief and fell to the ground on their backs. The adrenaline that was pumping through them came down from overdrive knowing that Sora was going to live.

Yolei embraced Sora immediately as she began to sit up. The younger girl squeezed her so hard that Sora was worried she would pop. Yolei started sobbing in the crook of her neck.

"It's okay," Sora murmured, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm alright."

"I thought I lost you," Yolei sniffled. "I'm so sorry, Sora. I'll do anything to make this up to you."

"Don't worry. Just remember that we're not out to get you. We're trying to help you. Your family is the same way. I never had a good relationship with my mother until I became a Jedi. I learned that the only way to get through this was counting on the people who love us to be there and provide support."

Yolei took those words to heart and squeezed her master one last time before pulling away. Tai instantly grabbed onto Sora before she could get a moment to breathe.

"Thank God you're okay," he muttered.

Sora's face turned a pale pink as Tai tightly squeezed her. Her left arm reacted on its own and wrapped around his upper back, pulling him in even tighter.

Everybody else was still shaken by what happened. Mimi continued to cry into Izzy's shoulder. Everyone else just squatted down and took deep breaths.

"Let's go back home, guys," Yolei said. "There's something I need to do."

* * *

Once Yolei emerged from the portal back into her bedroom, she went straight for the door. The message on the wall was still there, but she didn't pay it any mind. She burst into the living room, where detectives were still interviewing her family.

"I'm back!" she cried.

Her family gasped at her sudden appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Inoue told the detective that was speaking with them that they could leave now because there was no need for them to be there any longer. The four detectives in the apartment nodded and left.

Yolei's parents wasted no time in hugging her. Her mother squeezed her tightly, while her father kissed the top of her head. The three older Inoue children joined the family group hug.

"What happened to you, squirt?" Mantarou asked.

"It's a long story," Yolei replied. "Guys, I want to say I'm sorry for the way I've been acting lately. I've been a complete maniac, and you guys don't deserve it."

"We're just happy you're alright, Yolei," her father said. "We're family; we have our ups and downs. It doesn't mean we don't love you."

Yolei wiped tears from her eyes. "I know," she murmured.

* * *

**That was...interesting. What awaits the Jedi next in their war on the Emperor? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. A nice long one to make up for the time I was away. Let me know in reviews what you guys thought. I promise I will be back on schedule for next week. **

**Hope you all had a great holiday. **


	17. Deepwater Horizon

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes he is. You have not seen the half of it yet. **

**Music Chick: Yup. A little bit of everything last chapter. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Glad you liked it. You'll find out soon what the deal is with Ken telling different versions of what happened to his brother. **

* * *

**Hey all. Welcome back to another chapter. We are right back on schedule with updates. Things have settled down a little with only final papers left, which leaves me more time to write. I realized I screwed up the order a bit between this chapter and the next, but I think it works out okay. We're back to focusing on Cody, this time with a different twist on the oil rig episode. **

**Hope you guys enjoy it.**

* * *

_Cody woke up with the strangest sensation. It felt like he was floating, but dropping rapidly. Water rushed past his ears, but there was complete silence surrounding him. He fought to open his eyes, but the salt water would sting them and force them shut again. _

_Cody squinted ever so slightly and saw the distorted sunlight at the surface above. He twisted his small body around until he was aimed up towards the surface. Using whatever strength he could muster, Cody swam up to the sunlight. _

_But the light did not seem to be getting closer. Instead, it was getting further away from him, no matter how much strength he put into pulling himself up. It was like there was a weight tied to his legs and holding him down. _

_Cody's lungs started to quickly run out of air. He had to reach the surface quickly to breathe again, but he couldn't move. Now he was struggling, thrashing, desperate to save himself before he drowned. _

_A two-note bar of music went off in his head. Something was close by. He fought against whatever was holding him down, desperate to escape what he knew was coming. As the music in his head gained in tempo and intensity, he turned and shrieked as a wide pair of jaws with teeth like knives opened to take a bite out of him._

* * *

Cody snapped awake with a scream and shot up in his futon. He gasped heavily, his lungs took in every gulp of air they could. He looked around and took in the surroundings of his bedroom. The clock on his dresser said it was just past three o'clock in the morning.

Cody breathed heavily as his mind returned to the present. That was when a warmth between his legs came to his attention. He glanced down at the base of his futon and raised the comforter up slightly. A damp spot was in the bedding and in the middle of his white briefs.

He had wet the futon.

Cody's face turned red with embarrassment. He pushed the covers off him and pulled his sheets from the futon. It had been two years since he last wet the bed. He liked to think he was past that stage, but the dream always frightened him to the point that he did it.

He slipped his feet into slippers and walked down the hall to the washer in just his briefs. The air was a little cold in the apartment, but Cody wasn't worried about that. Why was that dream coming up again? Ever since he was little, he would have it every couple of years. The last time it happened was two years ago.

"Cody?"

The boy halted in his tracks and glanced behind him. His grandfather stood in the doorway with his robe on. He looked tired, weary, but also concerned. Cody wondered what he was doing up at this time of night.

"Was it that dream again?" Chikara asked, glancing at the sheets in his grandson's arms.

Cody nodded wordlessly.

The old man sighed and stepped out into the hallway. "Come on," he said, patting Cody on the shoulder.

The two walked to where the washer was and threw the sheets in. A few minutes later, they walked into the bathroom to run a warm bath for Cody to get the smell of urine off of him. As Cody soaked in the tub, Chikara brought some fresh, clean clothes from Cody's bedroom and laid them beside the bath.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked.

Cody shook his head. It was too horrifying for him to talk about.

"I understand." His grandfather then chuckled. "You know, your dad never wanted to talk about his nightmares with me either. I guess it's something you got from him."

"Grandfather," Cody mumbled, finally finding the courage to speak. "Did you ever feel sometimes like your friends didn't find you reliable?"

The old man was surprised by the question.

"Where is this coming from, Cody?" he asked. "Did that dream have something to do with it?"

"I'm not sure," the boy replied.

"Have you been true to yourself?"

"What do you mean?"

Chikara smiled softly at his young grandson. At the end of the day, Cody was still just a nine-year-old boy. A nine-year-old boy that needed love and guidance, despite how independent and mature he was for his age.

"The worst thing you can do is lie about your feelings. As long as you're honest with yourself by giving all you've got, people will see that you're someone they can count on."

Cody looked down at the murky bathwater, thinking over his grandfather's words. He sat there for several moments, making his grandfather worry that he had become a statue.

"Okay," he said with a nod. "Thanks, Grandfather."

The man rubbed the top of his head affectionately. "Feel better now?" he asked.

Cody nodded again.

"Alright, let's get you back to bed."

The boy stepped out of the bath and into the warm towel that his grandfather had waiting for him. Once he dried off, he put on the clothes that were laid out for him and the two went off to bed. It was a quarter to four when Cody came back to his bedroom.

As Cody put new sheets on his futon, he reflected on his grandfather's words again. If he was honest with himself, the others would continue to rely on him. That was unfortunately easier said than done. The words continued to weigh heavily on his mind as Cody put his head on the pillow and fell asleep.

* * *

The Destined Jedi emerged from the other side of the digital divide in a flash of light. Earlier that day, Izzy discovered an oilrig that was under Ken's control. What he was doing with it, Izzy wasn't sure, but he had a guess. A war machine had to have oil in order to keep things going long term, so Ken was using this to keep supplying his efforts to take over the entire Digital World. If they crippled that, Ken would have to find something else to power his war machine, which would cost him time and give the Jedi an advantage.

Many of the older kids had things going on that day, so none of them could come. Tai and Sora had soccer games, Matt had a concert later that day, and Joe had an important test. Mimi was also busy with cheerleading activities. Izzy decided to watch from the computer at headquarters, so it was just the younger Jedi that were going.

"Okay, Izzy. We're in," TK said into his earpiece. "What's the situation like up ahead?"

"_As far as I can see, you guys are clear," _Izzy replied. "_Just be careful though. If we've learned anything about Ken, it's that he likes to surprise us." _

"You can say that again," Yolei agreed. She was slowly recovering from her experience as Ken's captive, and thus was a little hesitant to go. Izzy eventually talked her into it.

"Come on," said TK. "Let's go."

There was a half-mile long bridge extending from the shore to the oilrig. The group felt a strong Force aura coming from it and proceeded slowly across the bridge. With each step, a feeling of impending danger grew within them.

"You guys feel that?" Davis said, looking down at the murky seawater and then at all sides. It felt as though something was down there waiting for them to come across the bridge. He then had an intense desire to get off the bridge.

"That's your imagination, Davis," TK dismissed with a shrug. "Izzy said that we were all clear."

"I really think we need to go back, TK. I don't like the vibes I'm getting. Something's down there."

TK groaned and palmed his face. "It's the ocean, Davis! Of course there is going to be something down there. Quit being paranoid."

"I'm not being paranoid! I'm telling you. There's something down there and it's not just the anchovies."

"I'm the leader, and I say that we continue on. We have a job to do!"

Cody looked around and at first saw nothing. He was ready to agree with TK when a long shadow stretched out over him. The boy looked up. His face went pale and his knees began to shake.

He stuttered as he raised a nervous finger towards the sea. No words came out of his mouth as TK and Davis stopped arguing long enough to see what he was doing.

"What's with you, Cody?" TK glared at him with annoyance, thinking he was exaggerating to illustrate Davis' point. "Don't tell me you're agreeing with Davis."

Cody finally got words out of his mouth. "L-LOOK!" he screamed.

The group looked at where he was pointing and went pale. A sea serpent that had to be at least fifty to sixty feet long towered over the bridge. Water dripped down its red scales and grey underbelly. Its green eyes looked at them with hunger behind the gold plate over its head. A long, silver horn as sharp as a dagger was on top of the plate, pointed right at them like a bayonet.

"MEGASEADRAMON!" TK cried, recognizing the creature. "Run!"

Cody stood paralyzed with fear as the others took off down the bridge. No matter how hard he tried, his body wouldn't obey the command to run. The serpent eyed him for a moment before going in for the kill. The boy shut his eyes tightly, awaiting the sensation of being snapped up in its jaws. Just like the shark in his dreams.

But someone pulled him out of the way at the last second. MegaSeadramon sent the part of the bridge Cody had just been on into the ocean, cutting the bridge in half.

"Cody, let's go!" TK urged the boy before pulling him along. He used the Force to give him an extra burst of speed and they were at the platform in mere seconds. He threw his hand forward at the others.

"Get inside! Get inside!" he cried.

He and Cody joined them all inside of the rig just as MegaSeadramon came back for a second try at them. Frustrated at missing its prey, the giant serpent went on a rampage. It destroyed everything it could find on the exterior of the oilrig.

Inside, the Destined Jedi felt everything that was being done on the outside. Whenever MegaSeadramon struck, it rocked the entire structure at its base. It felt like one big strike would knock the whole thing off and send it floating out into the open ocean.

Suddenly, the power went out, plunging everything into total darkness. Somebody screamed. The lights came back on two seconds later, and everything became still.

"Is it gone?" Kari asked.

Davis looked out one of the peepholes to see what was going on. The murky ocean water clouded just about everything around them. He couldn't see anything. A streak of red suddenly emerged and everything rocked again.

"He's back!" he cried.

MegaSeadramon brushed against the metal exterior once again. Alarms went off as water started to fill the entire conduit from cracks in the walls. It took only ten seconds for the water to start reaching the group's ankles.

"Where's the shut off switch?" TK cried. "There has to be one!"

Everyone looked around desperately for anything that would resemble a switch. The water was now up to the middle of their calves. Time was quickly running out before they would be completely submerged in water and drown.

Davis looked to his right and saw a button colored in red. A sign above it said '_Emergency Shut Off Valve.' _

"I found it!" he cried and pushed it with no time to waste.

Three shutters spread out from the pipe in the middle of the structure and cut off the water from going any further. While that got rid of one problem, it created another one. The group could not get out.

Davis glanced out the peephole nervously. MegaSeadramon was now circling them like a shark circling its prey.

"MegaSeadramon's still out there," he said. "Looks like we're trapped here for a while." Davis then turned to glare at TK. "Why didn't you listen to me, TK? I knew that there was something waiting for us, and you led us right to it!"

"Shut up," TK growled. "Arguing is not going to get us out of this." He pressed on his earpiece. "Izzy, you there?"

_Static._

"Izzy?"

_Static. _

"Izzy!"

No response came. They were twenty feet deep in the ocean, making it impossible for their earpieces to receive or transmit any messages with the surface. The Jedi were completely on their own.

"How long do you think our air supply down here will last?" asked Kari.

"Should be enough for three hours," TK replied. "Maybe four if we really stretch it out. That's why we have to find a way out of here quickly."

Sniffles were heard behind the four of them. Cody sat against the railing and was rocking back and forth while fighting back tears. He was trembling with fear. It felt like his nightmare was finally coming true in real life. He was really going to die at the bottom of the ocean.

"That won't help save air," Davis quipped, earning him a smack on the shoulder by Yolei.

"We're not going to get out of here alive, are we?" Cody said in a shaky voice. He silently began to cry.

Kari smiled at him sympathetically as she kneeled down beside him.

"Don't worry, Cody," she assured. "We'll find a way out of here. What's the matter?"

Cody wiped his nose with his sleeve before answering her question. "Ever since I was little, I've dreamed about being stuck at the bottom of the ocean. I try to swim up to the surface, but no matter how hard I try, I never get there. And then I hear music before a shark comes to eat me."

Davis smirked wickedly. "You mean like this? _Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun!" _

Cody curled himself deeper into a ball at the dreaded sound. The tears hastened down his cheeks as chills went down his body. Davis fell to the ground in hysterics.

"That's enough, Davis!" Kari shot the boy a dirty look. "You're scaring him!"

"I can't help it if the little twerp can't take a joke."

"Now is not the time for jokes!"

Yolei huffed and walked over to a nearby wall. "Somebody please get us out of here!" she cried. BANG! She slammed her fists against it. To her surprise, the wall rose up and revealed a small submersible behind it.

"Whoa!" Davis exclaimed. "What is that?"

"It looks like an escape pod," Yolei said after examining it. There was only one problem. "Unfortunately, there's just room for one person. Somebody needs to leave and go get help. Someone who can fit inside."

Cody felt everyone's eyes fall on him. He knew what they were thinking.

"No way!" he shook his head. "I'm not doing it."

"Come on, Cody! You're the only one small enough to fit," Yolei tried to persuade him. "Besides, you're the one afraid of being down here so it's your chance to get out."

"I won't be a chicken," the boy stubbornly replied. "The only way I am going to get over this fear is if I stare it right in the face and conquer it. That is what I am going to do. I'm not going to be afraid anymore."

He didn't notice Davis smirking right behind him until it was too late.

"_Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun," _the burgundy-haired Jedi chanted in his ear.

"AHH! SHARK!" Cody screamed and jumped almost a foot in the air, which sent Davis into hysterics once again.

"You could have fooled me," he cackled, slapping his knee.

"That's not funny!" Cody shoved him, but Davis barely moved an inch. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Yes, you are! None of us can fit in that thing except you."

"Oh, so it's because I'm short, huh?"

Davis growled and clenched his fists before he finally lost his patience. "YOU'RE GOING, YOU DUMB RUNT! AND THAT IS FINAL!"

"I'M NOT GOING!"

The other three Jedi watched the scene with both amusement and annoyance. Something had to be done in order to decide this thing. Time was of the essence.

"What do you guys want to do?" TK asked under the sound of Davis and Cody arguing.

"I think I've got something," Yolei replied before speaking loudly enough for Cody and Davis to hear. "How about we draw straws? That way each one of us has an equal chance of getting to go."

Kari nodded in agreement. "I like that plan, Yolei," she said before looking at Cody. "Does that sound fair to you, Cody?"

The boy hesitated for a second, but nodded. If everyone had an equal playing field, then it would make things fair than just being handed the keys. He really hoped he wouldn't be the one to go.

Cody closed his eyes and concentrated to see what the end result of this would be. He saw a red tipped straw in his hand and going back up to the surface. He groaned. That meant he was going to be the one to go.

"Okay, so here is how we are going to do it," Yolei said after a few minutes. She held five straws in her hand. "Whoever gets the one that's tipped with red at the bottom has to go." She looked everyone over. "So who wants to go first?"

Davis pushed Cody forward. "I think Cody should go first," he said.

"Why me?" the boy protested.

"You're the youngest. It's only fair that we start with the youngest."

Cody couldn't argue with that. Especially since he already knew what the end result was going to be. Might as well just get it over with, he thought. He stepped forward and took a straw from Yolei's hand.

It was red at the bottom.

His stomach sank.

"Cody, you're it!" Yolei exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised he got it. "And on the first try too! You must really have used the Force to figure that one out."

"Guess that means you're going after all, Cody," Kari smiled, gesturing to the pod. "All aboard."

Cody eyed the straws in Yolei's hand and frowned. Something didn't feel right. It could not have been luck that he had gotten the straw on the first draw. He whacked her hand with the straw and they all fell out of her hand. All of them were tipped with red.

"I expected better from you, Yolei!" he said with an accusatory tone. "You rigged it so I would draw a red one no matter what. That's not fair!"

Yolei shrugged. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Cody," she said. "Besides, you got it so you have to follow through. Quit being such a baby."

"We've been through this already. I'm not going!"

Suddenly, two pairs of arms lifted him up by his armpits and ushered him towards the pod. Davis and TK held strong as Cody thrashed in protest before dropping him into the seat of the pod. Before he could have a chance to get out, the glass seal enclosed him inside.

"Let me out!" he cried. "Can't we talk about this?"

"Sorry, Cody, but we have no time to discuss this in a committee," Davis said.

"Go back to our world and get somebody to help us," Kari added. "You're our only hope, Cody."

The glass seal on the outside of the air pocket shut, filling the chamber with water. Three seconds later, the pod was released into the ocean. Cody white knuckled the thrusters forward and did not hold them back for one second as he sped up towards the surface. The turbines behind him rotated along silently, making him almost invisible to everything that was in the area. That included MegaSeadramon because the serpent did not realize he was there.

Cody sighed with relief once he reached the surface near the shore. It felt so good to finally be out of that prison he called the ocean. He kissed the sand in relief before speeding off towards the television the group had come in at. There was only one person he knew that would be right for the job.

* * *

'_Come on. Be there! Be there! Be there!' _Cody urged silently as he waited for the phone to ring. Once he got back, he darted straight for his apartment and rushed to the phone. It was a hot Tokyo summer day with the humidity causing more suffering than usual, but Cody's adrenaline was pumping so hard that it didn't bother him.

The line finally stopped ringing, but a voice message came up.

"_Hi, this is Joe. I'm either studying or taking a test right now. Leave me a message, and I will call you back as soon as I can. Thank you, and have a nice day." _

Cody put the phone down, not bothering to leave a message. That meant Joe was probably in the middle of his test. No one else was available to help, so he had to do whatever it took to get Joe to come help.

He went for the phone book to find the address of the Shinagawa cram school. Once he found it, he darted out of the apartment and into the hallway. Cody hit the 'down' button for the elevator and bounced impatiently while waiting for it to come.

_Ding!_

He took a step forward, but two familiar figures stepped out of the elevator.

"Oh, Cody. You're home," his mother greeted. "Perfect timing too. I need you to go grab a few things since you're going back out."

Cody bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I have something important to do right now."

"What is it?"

Cody bit his lip nervously. He couldn't tell her the real reason why. She would probably never believe it. Neither she nor his grandfather knew about him being a Destined Jedi yet. He and Joe had several close calls over the last month, but thankfully covered their tracks well. On the other hand, he did not want to lie to either of them. He'd been lying enough ever since he became a Jedi.

"I can't tell you," he finally said. His gaze drifted downward to avoid looking her in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Why not?" his mother pressed, but Chikara stepped in.

"It's better if he not say anything, Fumiko," he said. "If you try to force an answer out of him, Cody would be forced to lie to you. It's better he say nothing than lie. There is nothing worse than someone who lies."

'_If only you knew how many lies I've been telling lately, Grandpa,' _Cody thought shamefully, but bowed in understanding. The elevator doors were still open for now, but he had to move fast.

"I'll see you guys later," he waved as the elevator doors closed and took him downstairs.

* * *

Davis lightly banged his head against the railing. He was so bored that he was willing to do anything to help pass the time. It had been almost an hour since Cody left the oilrig and there was no telling when he would be back. They were running out of time.

_Ping! Ping! Ping! _

Across the room, Yolei was ready to strangle him.

"Will you stop banging your head!" she growled. "It's driving me crazy!"

Davis shot her a dirty look. She was one to talk; she had been tapping her foot the whole time and the sound of it was driving him crazy.

"Absolutely, your worship," he drawled sarcastically. "Now stop tapping your foot or I'll cut it off."

"How's about I knock your lights out with it?" Yolei shot back, her hand going to her saber.

"Try it, you four-eyed giant!"

TK opened an eye and glowered at them from his peripheral vision. Their stupid arguing was interrupting his concentration.

"Give it a rest, you two!" he snapped. "I can't concentrate with your stupid bickering. Now, either get along or SHUT UP!"

Things instantly went quiet. TK took a shaky breath that was filled with anger as he closed his eyes to get his concentration back. The other three Jedi eyed him with concern. All day, he had been short with them. There had to be a reason for it.

Kari sat down next to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

A sigh escaped TK's lips. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "But I have to be honest with you, Kari. I'm not sure if we're going to get out of here."

"Don't say that. We will get out of here."

"We probably only have enough air left for an hour and a half. I'm not sure if Cody can get back here in time. Maybe we're asking too much of him."

* * *

"Sorry, but he's taking a test right now," said the test advisor.

Cody wanted to scream. He had not come this far just to be thwarted at the last moment. He was going to get Joe out of his test.

"But it's an emergency!" he pleaded. "You have to let Joe out now."

The man folded his arms across his chest. "What kind of emergency?"

Cody lost his words. The metaphorical cat had indeed gotten his tongue. He had not planned on encountering this much resistance so he was not sure what to say. His grandfather's words echoed in his head.

"_There is nothing worse than someone who lies." _

"Unless it involved a family member going to the hospital or some other emergency like that, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait for him to finish," the test advisor said. "I don't make the rules, kid. I just enforce them. You're free to sit down if you wish. Would you like some water?"

The last thing Cody wanted to do was lie. On the other hand, he could use a mind trick instead. But that wasn't much better because he would be manipulating someone else for his own purposes. That got Yolei into all sorts of trouble. He didn't want that to happen to him. But he had to do something. The fate of his friends was dependent on him getting Joe out of his test. If he couldn't, they would die.

'_I'm so useless!' _he blinked away tears.

His eyes then narrowed in steely determination.

With a wave of his hand, he said, "You'll let Joe Kido out of the test."

The man nodded mindlessly and pressed his finger on the intercom.

"Joe Kido, come to the front desk. Joe Kido, come to the front desk."

A moment later, Joe came out of the classroom. Once he saw Cody, he smiled.

"Hi, Cody."

"Joe, come on!" the boy took him by the arm and pulled him out of the building. The two took off down the sidewalk without a moment to waste.

Joe was stunned after Cody explained everything that had happened. The others were trapped underwater in an oil platform with very little time left before they ran out of air. This was a full-fledged emergency.

"How did you convince Mr. Tanaka to let me out?" he asked while they stopped on a corner.

Cody circled his index fingers over each other nervously. "I…used a mind trick to get you out," he mumbled before defensively adding, "But I had a good reason to do it. I didn't use it for selfish reasons and I did not want to lie."

"Relax," Joe patted him on the head. "I'm not at mad at you for doing that. You did what you had to do. Now, come on. Let's get to the Digital World."

Cody nodded. "Right."

The two ducked into a nearby convenience store and went straight to the back where no one would see them. Cody concentrated hard to build up a powerful amount of Force energy until it felt like he was going to explode. He released it and a portal appeared before them. Joe and Cody wasted no time jumping into it.

The portal took them back to the beach. Joe looked out and saw the large oil platform. The towers and other parts of the structure were destroyed, courtesy of MegaSeadramon. The bridge was also halved right down the middle, so there was no way they could get across.

"What do we do?" Cody muttered, looking desperately around for something they could do to get down to the others. Joe wouldn't fit inside the sub he used to escape, so it ruled that out.

Joe answered for him, and it was the one thing Cody did not want to do.

"We swim."

The color disappeared from Cody's face.

"Swim?" he squeaked, looking nervously at the ocean. He shook his head violently. "No! No! No! We're not doing that!"

"There's no other way, Cody," Joe looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do it! I can't go in the water!" Cody felt his body start to shut down. He plopped down on the sand and folded his knees into his chest, refusing to move. "You can't make me!"

"Cody, calm down," Joe urged softly. He sat down across from him and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Look at me. Look in my eyes."

Cody did as commanded. He and Joe locked eyes, and began to calm down a little bit. The warm kindness that flowed from the Jedi of Reliability went straight into his soul.

"What's the matter? Why won't you go in the water?" Joe asked.

Cody hung his head between his knees and opened up about the dream he had been having. He started to shake and tremble while describing it in vivid detail. If he continued on, he would probably wet his yukata.

"That's why I will never go in the water," he finished. "I'm sorry, Joe, but I can't do it." Tears spilled down his cheeks. "Now everyone's going to die because of my inability to face my fears."

He sobbed quietly, closing his knees and burying his face into them. Joe wished that there was something he could do to help him. The only way they were going to save the others was to swim down to their position, and time was not in their favor. They had to act quickly.

"I'll make you a deal, Cody," he said. "If you do this, then I promise you will never have to go into the ocean again. The others are counting on us. Do you want to let them down?"

Cody shook his head.

Joe shook his shoulder. "I understand how you feel, buddy. It's not easy being the reliable one. Sometimes you feel that everyone is asking too much of you, especially when you're afraid to do something. But they will only depend on you so long as you trust in yourself. It's alright to be afraid, but don't lie about your feelings."

Cody looked up. What Joe said sounded just like what his grandfather had told him.

"Joe," he breathed.

The Jedi of Reliability smiled at him. "I'll be with you the whole time," he said. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Cody sniffled. He wiped away his tears and stood up, this time with a determined look on his face.

"Then let's go."

The two walked to the shore. The waves lapped at their feet as they stood in the water. Joe pulled something out of the folds of his yukata before stretching his hand out to Cody. In his hand was a small, black metallic device that looked like a sunglasses band.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Rebreathers. They'll help you breathe underwater," Joe explained. "Izzy gave me a pair of these sometime ago, but I never got around to using them. Guess today's a good day to test if they work."

Cody's eyes widened. "You mean you've never tried to see if they work?" he demanded, starting to feel the panic coming back.

Joe reached back and scratched the back of his head nervously. "No I haven't," he chuckled. "But Izzy built them, and his inventions are pretty reliable. I think it'll be okay though. I'll go first. You follow right after."

"No. Let's go together. I don't want to be alone."

"Okay. Don't freak out. I'll be right there with you the whole time. I promise nothing will get you."

Cody hesitantly nodded and put the device over his mouth. Joe put on his and they walked out into the water until it felt deep enough to where they could start swimming. The two Jedi disappeared beneath the surface and swam down.

Cody took a breath and felt oxygen restore itself into his lungs. The rebreathers really worked! Everything was quiet, but Cody couldn't help but feel something was lurking around in the murky depths. The water was so cloudy that he couldn't see a foot ahead of him. His fear rose as they worked their way deeper.

The familiar music entered his head. Cody started breathing erratically, craning his head around in every direction. Danger was near. Where was it? This was what he was afraid would happen. Why did he think he could do this?

Out of the corner of his eye, something big started to emerge from the deep blue. His eyes widened with terror and he pulled on Joe's sleeve.

Joe looked to his side to see what was wrong. Cody pointed to where he saw the silhouette, but Joe didn't see anything. He patted Cody on the shoulder and pulled him further down into the abyss.

The boy was stunned. How could Joe not have seen it? The shape continued swimming towards them, becoming more clearer with each meter it swam.

Cody felt his heart stop. It was long with a narrow head, a cordial fin, and two fins on its side. He would recognize it anywhere. He had read all the books and watched all the movies.

The beast must have seen them because it drifted closer at a much faster speed. It looked like a torpedo surging through the water from a hidden submarine. Cody finally lost it. He screamed into the breathing device and swam straight up, not stopping until his head finally broke the surface.

He ripped off the rebreather and took long, deep breaths to calm himself down. The adrenaline rushed through his small body. It took him several moments to finally calm down from the near-death experience.

'_Why did I agree to this?' _

Below the surface, something was swimming up. Cody grabbed his lightsaber to protect himself.

Joe popped out of the water and pulled his rebreather off.

"Cody, what happened?" he asked, breathing heavily. "You just swam off."

"A shark was coming towards us!" Cody shouted. "It was going to eat me, so I got out of there. How did you escape it?"

Joe started laughing.

"That wasn't a shark," he chuckled. "It was an old friend of mine."

Cody raised an eyebrow. A second later, something jumped out of the water and wrapped the boy in a tight hug. He screamed, shutting his eyes tight.

"Sheesh! Not so loud!"

Cody hesitantly took a peek and saw nothing but a wall of white in his vision. He thought he had gone blind for a second until whatever was embracing him got off. In front of him was a small seal-like creature with big green eyes. What struck Cody the most was the orange mohawk on top of its head.

"Hiya, Joe," the creature greeted.

"Gomamon," the older Jedi returned with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I sensed you needed my help and here I am," Gomamon smiled. He set his eyes on Cody and studied him. "Is this the kid Gennai asked you to train?"

"Yup. This is Cody."

"Pleasure to meet you, Cody," Gomamon shook Cody's hand with his claw-tipped appendages.

"L-Likewise," the boy replied, still trying to digest what he was seeing. That shark he thought he saw in the water proved to be nothing but a figment of his imagination. His fear had gotten the better of him.

"I'm glad you're here, Gomamon," said Joe. "We need some help."

"How can I help you, Joey old pal?"

Joe frowned. "You know I don't like being called that."

"Eh, whatever," Gomamon said with a shrug. "What do you need me to help you with?"

"The younger Jedi are all stuck in the oil platform a few meters down," Joe explained. "MegaSeadramon has them cornered, and they don't have much time before they run out of air. We need to find a way to get down there and rescue them."

Gomamon smiled and looked out to the open ocean.

"I know just the 'mon to help you," he said.

* * *

_Cough! Cough!_

Everybody turned at the sound. Yolei was down on her knee and covering her mouth. Her face was starting to look a little red.

"Yolei, are you alright?" Kari asked, moving over to check on her. She too let out a cough. Her head started to feel light and the whole room began to spin. It was also hard to breathe.

Yolei straightened her glasses. "I think so," she muttered. "I don't feel so good."

"The air must be starting to run out," TK said. "We're going to have to break one of these windows and swim out of here. It's our only chance."

"Not with that thing still out there!" Davis snapped. "It'll pounce and make us its dinner."

"Which sounds better to you, die instantly or slowly choke to death?" TK shot, folding his arms across his chest.

Davis coughed before answering, "Neither. I'd rather live."

Kari looked out the peephole for any sign of Cody, but found nothing. She continued looking out just as a way to distract herself from Davis and TK's argument. It all seemed hopeless. Maybe TK was right about them asking too much of Cody.

A rumbling knocked her and the others off their feet. It was like an earthquake, but the rumbling stopped after a moment. A cascade of water dumped on top of the Jedi, soaking them to the bone.

"What's going on?" Davis cried.

The sound of metal screeching and breaking raked on their ears. They swiftly brought their hands up to cover them as a large body emerged from an opening in the metal walls above them.

A large whale-like Digimon blocked water from coming through the opening with its body. It was black on top and blue on the bottom. The Jedi weren't sure what to make of its presence until it opened its mouth.

"Jump in!"

For a second, the group thought it was the whale speaking. But then the voice finally registered with them.

"Cody!" Yolei exclaimed.

"And Joe!" Davis echoed.

"Jump up, guys!" Joe cried from the whale's mouth. "It's our only way out of here."

TK was struck by the size of the creature. He and the original Jedi never encountered it before during their adventures so it was a sight to behold.

"Where did you find that thing?" he asked.

Joe smiled. "An old friend. This is Whamon."

Kari used the Force to help her leap up into the sea mammal's open mouth. The smell of the sea and krill blasted her in the face, but it was something she could put up with for them to make a quick escape. The others quickly followed. Whamon closed its mouth and backed out of the hole it created in the wall, filling the room up with ocean water.

MegaSeadramon went up to attack, but Whamon used its sheer size to knock the serpent away. It sped towards the surface with reckless abandon with MegaSeadramon locking its sights on them like a heat-seeking missile. It snapped for Whamon's tail to grab on, but the whale breached the surface and slammed its tail on the serpent's head. MegaSeadramon fell into the sea with a large splash.

Whamon blew water out of its air hole, which also released the Jedi from its mouth.

"Phew! That was close," Joe sighed.

"I'll say," TK agreed. "Remember when you destroyed MegaSeadramon last time, Joe?"

The Jedi of Reliability laughed as he fondly remembered. "Yeah. That was after I jumped in to save you from drowning."

The Jedi of Hope laughed with him for a moment before looking at the youngest member of the group.

"I knew we could count on you, Cody," he said, ruffling the boy's hair. "Nice work."

Cody didn't smile at the praise. In fact, he looked away with what looked like shame in his eyes.

"You shouldn't be saying that," he mumbled. "I didn't do anything. I wasn't reliable."

"Cody, don't be so modest," said Davis. "If you guys hadn't shown up when you did, we probably would have passed out from the lack of air. You did what we asked you to do. You were reliable."

"That's not the point."

Tears welled up in Cody's eyes. The shame and all the feelings he had been keeping from everyone formed a lump in his throat that threatened to stop him from speaking. He sniffled, unable to stop the tears from running down his face. He swallowed the lump.

"I was so scared of going into the water that I was willing to let you all die because of it," he sobbed. "How can you call me reliable if I was willing to run away from my problems and risk your lives in the process? I've been lying to everyone: My family, all of you, and myself ever since we started this thing. My grandfather said that there is nothing worse than someone who lies, and that's what I've been doing. I can't take this secrecy anymore!"

He collapsed on Whamon's head and sobbed loudly into the whale's leathery skin. The Jedi looked amongst each other in concern. Cody must have been holding all of that in for a long time, and this whole episode was his breaking point. Davis and Yolei related because they too had been keeping secrets from their families this whole time.

Joe squatted down and stroked Cody's back with a comforting touch.

"Hey, hey," he murmured softly. "Cody."

The boy sniffled and looked up. Tears were still dripping down his face.

"I understand this burden that you carry," Joe continued while sitting down in front of him. "When we separated for a while after Tai and Matt fought each other, I felt like I was running away from my problems. I felt like I wasn't being reliable to anyone because we were now split up instead of together. A part of me wanted to feel responsible for what happened, but you know what I realized?"

Cody didn't respond, but Joe took it as a sign to continue.

"I realized that being reliable didn't mean that I had to put my nose down and do it without question. It meant that in spite of the fear and uncertainty that I felt, I stuck with what I believed in and found a way to help the cause. Trusting in yourself is the best thing you can do to show how reliable you are. As long as you do what you know is right, despite your fears, people will see that you are someone to depend on."

Cody wiped away tears, but there was still the shame of having to use a mind trick for selfish reasons in his eyes. Joe saw it and knew what to do.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll explain everything to your grandfather when we get back and say that you had a reason for doing what you did," he said. "I won't let you get in trouble."

The youngest Destined Jedi nodded. Everything Joe said sounded just like what his grandfather had told him the night before. It was almost like the two of them were the same person. If Cody's father were still alive, he would probably be just like Joe.

"Okay," he mumbled.

Joe smiled. "Great. Let's get out of here."

From out of the depths of the sea, a long red tail emerged and violently wrapped itself around Joe's neck. Joe reached up to try and unwrap the appendage but it only grew tighter, cutting off his air supply. The attack was so sudden that no one was prepared to react.

"Guys!" Joe cried, reaching out as he was dragged from Whamon's head and into the ocean.

"JOE!" Everyone cried.

Cody's body was so drunk on adrenaline that he didn't think as he put on his rebreather and dove into the water after Joe. He was not going to let MegaSeadramon get away with Joe.

His green lightsaber sprung out the second he hit the water, his feet kicking behind him like little propellers. The red streak of MegaSeadramon against the deep blue abyss never left Cody's sight as he followed right behind it.

The salt water stung his eyes, so Cody had to shut them every two seconds to offset it. The Force was leading him at this point.

MegaSeadramon's silhouette disappeared from sight, but Cody sensed where it went. He looked straight behind him and the serpent charged, opening its jaws wide to snatch the boy up.

Cody dodged and delivered a quick strike to its neck. The beast hissed in pain and swam up for the surface. As its tail passed him, Cody grabbed onto Joe's hand so that he would be pulled along with them.

Once MegaSeadramon broke the surface, it snapped the tip of its tail up to send Cody flying. The boy flipped forward to straighten himself out before landing on MegaSeadramon's scales.

"Thunder Javelin!" the serpent cried, blasting a sonic blue ray of energy from its horn.

Cody ducked his head down to avoid the attack. It whizzed over his head and went into the sea. Cody slid down its scales towards the tail. The sea serpent snapped its jaws at him but missed.

Cody put his feet under him and jumped off its body towards the tail. He reared his saber back with his eyes completely focused on the part of its tail that was under Joe's feet. Everything passed in slow motion as Cody got closer.

"RRRRRAAAAHHHHHH!" he cried as he swung his lightsaber through the serpent's tail.

MegaSeadramon roared in unbearable pain as the severed part of its tail, along with Joe and Cody, fell into the water below. The sea serpent thrashed around on the surface before finally slinking back deep into the sea.

"Cody?" Joe called out, looking around for any sight of the boy, but there was none. "Cody?"

His heart filled with dread as terror gripped him.

"CODY!" he screamed desperately.

Air bubbles rattled along the surface of the water until Cody emerged a second later, coughing water out of his lungs. Joe swam over to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked as they both treaded water to stay afloat.

Cody nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay," he replied.

Laughter exploded out of his mouth like vomit as what he just did finally registered in his mind. He pumped a fist into the air in celebration. Joe joined in with his laughter after a second.

"Aw man," he exclaimed, endorphins exploding in his brain. "That was awesome! I can't believe I did that."

"Thanks, Cody," Joe said with a smile. He rubbed the boy's head affectionately. "You saved my life. Ya know, I think you are someone that can be relied upon in a pinch."

Cody smiled bashfully at the praise. It felt good because he now knew Joe was right. Despite his fears, he jumped in to help a friend in trouble without hesitation. Maybe he was worthy of being the reliable one after all.

Today was his first step into a larger world.

* * *

**What awaits the Destined Jedi next in their quest to stop the Emperor? Has Cody gained more confidence in himself? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Just as a refresher, the group never met Whamon in the first story, so this was the first time he appeared. You guys can probably figure out what music Cody was hearing in his head. **

** Next time, the group travels to a village straight out of the Edo period to stop a giant-sized problem. Spoiler: it's not Godzilla. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you have not already. Keep giving feedback, guys. It helps me do better. **

**See y'all next weekend. **


	18. Big Trouble in Little Edo

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Yup, the little guy is coming into his own. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes it is. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: You'll find out soon. Glad that you like what I do every week. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd 1: You'd be surprised at what people can do when faced with difficult situations. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd 2: You will just have to stay tuned to find out ;-)**

* * *

**Hey guys. Sorry for the extra week between chapters again. I had final papers to do and such. I'm done now, so nothing is going to take away from writing for the foreseeable future, especially since we are getting into the best arc of the story pretty soon. Hope the chapter is worth the wait for you all. Just a fair warning: the last part of the chapter is some pretty intense sh*t. There is also a moment I'm sure many of you have been waiting to see as well :)**

**On with the show!**

* * *

The Digimon Emperor sneered in victory as he looked down on his newly conquered territory. Though the darkness kept him from seeing all of it, the pale moonlight outlined the village's silhouette. A large castle stood at least ten stories high at the far edge of the village, standing out among the traditional houses and buildings straight out of the Edo period of Japan.

The only surprise for him was the fact that no resistance force came to stop him from conquering the village. It was left almost completely unprotected. Oh well, he thought, at least he didn't have to spill a drop of blood for it. Why couldn't more of these conquests be like this? Creatures that knew how to respect their masters and allow him to bring them security. Ken hated having to destroy Digimon in order to take territory. He did enough killing after he first came to the Digital World and forces from both sides of the civil war tried to drive him out.

The Emperor took one last look at the village before jumping off the ledge of the cliff, where an Airdramon waited for him below. He landed on its back and the dragon started to flap its wings and fly above the ground below.

'_It won't be long now before those pesky Jedi will try to come back,' _he thought. _'And when they do, I won't hesitate to destroy them for good this time. Nothing will get in my way.' _

"My lord, when am I going to get have some fun around here?" a squeaky voice pleaded with impatience. "This is boring!"

Ken snickered. The creature was a pint-sized ninja with a red cap and garish ninja attire. A small sword was in a sheath strapped to its back.

"Patience, Ninjamon," he placated gently. "You'll get your chance soon enough."

Ninjamon stomped its feet. "But that'll take too long! I want some action now!"

"If everything goes the way I think it will, those kids will walk right into my trap."

* * *

"That pervy sage!" Davis cried, splashing some water out of the tub when he threw his head back in hysterics.

The water had become lukewarm, but the boy was so invested in the story that he didn't notice. He brought his copy of that week's _Shonen Jump _back down and made sure it didn't get wet. There were no drops of water on the pages. Davis sighed in relief.

'_That Jiraya, man,' _he snickered to himself, flipping to the next page. _'What can you say about him?' _

Davis laughed again at what he saw next. This time, his laughter carried outside the shut door.

Jun peeked her head out the door to her bedroom, wondering what was going on. She looked down the hall to the living room and saw her parents laughing at whatever show they were watching.

'_My family's weird,' _she rolled her eyes and shut the door to her room.

* * *

"_Our top story tonight: boy genius Ken Ichijouji still has not been found after he disappeared back in May," _the news reporter said. _"Police have no leads, and there have been no sightings of the boy as of today. It is unknown why he ran away from home, but the authorities have floated several theories." _

TK rolled his eyes and turned off the TV. If only they knew the truth.

He looked out the sliding glass doors nearby. The lights of the Rainbow Bridge were the only colors against the dark backdrop. Everything was becoming weird lately. TK thought back to when the Jedi were stuck in the oil platform, how he freaked out on Davis for their circumstances.

"_Why didn't you listen to me, TK? I knew that there was something waiting for us, and you led us right to it!" _

"_Shut up." _

TK took the goggles off of his hat and looked down at them. What was happening to him lately? Was it the leadership position going to his head, or was it something else?

"TK, I'm home!"

The blonde turned his head around and saw his mother come into the living room. She looked tired from a long day in the newsroom with dark circles under her exhausted eyes. Her body language spoke of a woman that was working too hard.

"Hi, Mom," he returned as she walked over and bent down to kiss him on the cheek.

"How was your day today?" Nancy asked.

TK shrugged. "It was fine. How about you? Long day?"

The woman sighed heavily, giving her son his answer. "You don't know the half of it. Ever since he disappeared, that Ken Ichijouji has been all my editor is wanting us to write about. I've been assigned to the beat on discovering his whereabouts, but we still haven't found anything. I'm starting to think we will never know where he is."

TK wondered if he should tell her what he knew. His mother had been so busy lately that he didn't have the chance to tell her what he and the others knew.

"Eh, I'm sure he'll turn up at some point," he said with a shrug. "I've never seen a manhunt of this scale before."

"It was worse after the gas attack on the subway a few years ago," Nancy replied. "When somebody's of public interest, it's my job to feed the fire until that story is no longer useful."

"That's why you do what you do, Mom."

TK got up from the couch and went to his room. A big poster of Kobe Bryant spread across the wall above his bed, with other basketball posters surrounding it. Another one for the popular anime _Slam Dunk _was placed on the ceiling. He put the goggles on his desk and picked up his D-Terminal.

_Meet at HQ tomorrow after school. _

He sent the message out to the rest of the younger Jedi. After a few minutes, his D-Terminal buzzed with responses.

_Davis: Got it. _

_Yolei: Okay. _

_Kari: Roger. Tai said he can come with us. _

_Cody: Okay. _

TK smiled and put the device back on his desk. He took off his clothes and changed into a tank top and boxer shorts to get ready for bed. Tomorrow was a new chance to set things right with everybody. He was not going to freak out on anyone again.

* * *

"LORD SHOGUNMON! LORD SHOGUNMON!"

A small Gekomon ran through the halls of the palace, pushing itself on despite gasping for air. This was a DEFCON 1 emergency if there ever was one. The frog went past other Gekomon until it reached the royal chambers.

A large red frog-like creature was sleeping in its futon on the tatami mat floors. It had two horns perched onto its shoulders and a long purple topknot. ShogunGekomon was the ruler of the Gekomon and was known to be temperamental when his sleep was interrupted.

"LORD SHOGUNMON, WAKE UP! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!" The Gekomon yelled. "THE DIGIMON EMPEROR IS HEADED THIS WAY!"

The overgrown frog murmured with a groan, flickering his eyes open and shut as he tried to wake up. He turned over on his side and released a loud yawn.

"Say that again," ShogunGekomon groaned as he stretched his limbs and rubbed his eyes. "What's all the commotion about?"

"THE DIGIMON EMPEROR IS HEADED THIS WAY, MY LORD!"

That snapped the creature out from his haze. Any mention of the most feared being in the Digital World made the fine hairs on his mucus-covered body stand up on end. Not to mention what happened the last time the Gekomon encountered the Emperor.

"MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS! EVERYONE, MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!" ShogunGekomon roared, jumping straight out of bed.

He pulled a purple rope nearby. The platform underneath it began to rise up toward the ceiling. The tiles above it parted, allowing for an unobstructed view of the entire town.

The Gekomon raised a telescope it had up to its eye and surveyed the entire landscape. So far, everything looked okay with no signs of the Emperor. The frog turned the telescope to the right and almost dropped it with a scream.

"He's coming! Oh, this is horrible!" it cried, running around in circles while speaking in gibberish. "What are we going to do, my lord?"

ShogunGekomon slammed his fist down on his subject's head, stopping the display of terror instantly.

"Thank you. I needed that."

From far below, the Digimon Emperor stopped at the castle entrance and looked up to where ShogunGekomon was.

"Noble ruler of this castle," he yelled. "The village has been taken. There is no use trying to fight any longer. However, I am willing to take pity on you and your subjects. If you just come down, we will negotiate a settlement. No tricks."

ShogunGekomon was surprised. From what he heard, the Emperor would just take territory by force and make every single creature in it his slaves. This was an unusual tactic for him, so the creature did not know what to think.

"What should we do, my lord?" the Gekomon asked.

ShogunGekomon scratched his chin in deep thought. Maybe this was a trick designed by the Emperor to catch them off guard so that when they did try to negotiate, he would use those Dark Rings to make them all his slaves. The king frog cared for his subjects and did not want them to endure the bonds of servitude to anyone but him. It then came to him. There was only one way they could get out of this.

"Distract him while I send out an emergency signal to the Destined Jedi," he said to the Gekomon.

The creature's eyes bulged out of its skull. "Are you crazy?!" it shrieked. "I'm not going out there with the Digimon Emperor!"

But ShogunGekomon didn't listen as it already started its way back down to the communications room of the palace. A few Gekomon and a couple of Otamamon were in there. All were surprised to see their master standing there with a frightened look on his face.

"Send out an emergency signal to the Destined Jedi," he ordered. "Tell them that we need their help in dealing with the Digimon Emperor. Someone send out a delegation to keep him distracted until they get here."

"Yes, my lord," they all replied as they got to work.

'_May the Force be with us.'_

* * *

A message shot up on the screen just as Izzy turned it on. The subject box was labeled '_URGENT' _so he opened it without hesitation.

_Destined Jedi, please come help us! The Digimon Emperor has captured the town and now he wants to negotiate a settlement with us. We need your help dealing with him. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_-The Office of Lord ShogunGekomon_

"That can't be good," Izzy muttered as he pressed a few keys to find where the message originated. A red dot blinked several times on the map, indicating the location. He noted the coordinates and wrote them down on a notepad.

"Izzy!" TK cried as he and the other members of his party came into the computer room. In addition to the main team, Tai, Sora, and Mimi were with them as well.

"You guys are right on time," Izzy replied with a smile. "I just received this message from the Gekomon. It seems as though the Digimon Emperor has taken over their territory and they need our help."

The group gasped, but Mimi was especially affected. She was very fond of the creatures that she had once made call her their princess and hated seeing anything bad happen to them.

She stepped forward with a determined look on her face. "Then let's go!" she said with a clenched fist. "The Gekomon need us."

"I'll watch over you guys from here," said Izzy. "Be careful."

"We will, Izzy," Davis beamed while flashing a thumbs up. "You can count on us."

Izzy typed in the coordinates of where the distress signal came from and in a few clicks, the gate was ready to go.

"Let's go!" Yolei cried, using the Force to open the gate. In a flash of light, the group were whisked off to the Digital World.

* * *

Ken tapped his foot impatiently while waiting outside the castle gates. It had been twenty minutes since he made his presence known to the occupants of the castle and there was still no response. This was quickly becoming a waste of time. Maybe diplomacy was not the best move to make after all.

Finally, a group of Gekomon emerged from the castle entrance and walked towards him. Ken sneered as he smelled their fear taking over their tiny bodies. This was going to be fun.

"Open the gate," the lead one ordered.

The iron bars opened two seconds later, allowing Ken to come through and meet the delegation halfway.

"G-Good day, your Emperorness," the lead Gekomon said nervously. Its voice shook with every word. "T-To what honor do we owe this visit?"

"I have just spent twenty minutes waiting for you little slime balls to get out here," Ken said in a calm voice with dark undertones. "Now, I do not like having my time wasted. Where is your master? I very much desire to speak with him."

"L-Lord ShogunGekomon will be here," the Gekomon replied. "He's just getting himself proper. You interrupted him while he was sleeping, and it takes quite a while for him to get ready."

Ken could tell he was not being truthful. The eyes darting to the side was a dead giveaway. He moved closer to the small creatures, his shadow looming over them. The Gekomon quaked in fear.

"I want to make this as quick and painless as possible for you little cretins," he said darkly. "I do not take kindly to those who waste my time. You can either tell this big fat ball of slime to get his fat ass out here now, or I will destroy all of you. Capeesh?"

Before the Gekomon could reply, a shuriken wedged itself on the ground between them and Ken. The Digimon Emperor turned to look at Ninjamon with annoyance. The small ninja stood on top of the guard tower.

"Must you keep doing that, Ninjamon?" he hissed.

"Master, we have some new arrivals," the ninja said. "I think it's those Destined Jedi. Shall I go welcome them?"

Ken glared down at the Gekomon. So, this was a distraction to buy time until the Destined Jedi came, was it? He shrugged. It was a boring conversation anyway. The Destined Jedi were more fun.

"Well, I guess that concludes negotiations," he muttered before saying, "Go ahead, Ninjamon. Go have your fun, and get the others too. Let's send those Jedi a little welcome party."

"Woohoo!" Ninjamon bounced with excitement. Its moment had finally come. Fast as lightning, it jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

Ken stayed behind and sneered once more at the Gekomon. They scattered like cockroaches being exposed to light, which only amused him. He could sense the Jedi's presence not far off.

"Come and get me, kiddies," he snickered, clutching his lightsaber close. "It'll be the last thing you ever do."

* * *

The Destined Jedi couldn't believe what they were seeing. It looked like they had been taken back in time to the Edo period of Japan. The houses and shops were of traditional architecture from the period and everything they saw breathed an aura of authenticity.

"This is amazing," Tai breathed in awe. "It's like we're really in the Edo period."

"Yeah," Davis nodded. "I feel like I'm in my own samurai movie."

TK looked around and used the Force to sense for any unusual activity going on. A whole gaggle of life forms were nearby, but he couldn't tell whether they were friendly or unfriendly. Then he sensed Ken's presence in the village.

"Stay on your guard, guys," he said, taking his saber into his hand. "I've got a feeling we're not alone."

Just as he said that, animalistic noises filled the air around them. From the traditional houses and under the quaint wooden bridges, creatures with Dark Rings around them emerged to surround the Jedi. There was a group of mushrooms with purple tops and beady black eyes that were now blood red from the Dark Ring's control. The other Digimon looked like sunflowers with red petals around their heads.

"What are these things?" Cody activated his saber and pointed it out to keep the Digimon at bay. The others had followed his example with an array of lightsaber colors. Mimi's stood out the most from the blue and green sabers with her purple blade.

"They're called Mushroommon and Floramon," TK said. "Judging by the Dark Rings, I would say that Ken is indeed here."

"What do we do, Tai?" Davis asked.

Tai looked around at the Digimon that now encircled them. There were no gaps in their formation, so they couldn't just run in the opposite direction. They could fight their way out, but that would mean killing innocent Digimon that he knew were usually harmless. They were stuck in a hard decision.

"_Tai!" _Izzy said through his earpiece.

Tai pressed his fingers against it. "Izzy, are there any ways for us to get off this street? We're surrounded."

Before he could get a response, the large group of Digimon began their attack. The Mushroommon threw smaller mushroom bombs at them while the Floramon shot blaster fire from the Dark Rings. The Jedi blocked the bolts but there were so many that it was getting hard to track.

"It's a stand off," Tai said. "Everybody split up."

They all quickly broke apart and took off in separate directions.

Yolei ran as fast as her legs could carry her through the alleyways, jumping to avoid blaster fire that came her way. She ran down different alleyways in hopes of taking the controlled Digimon off her trail, but they followed her every time.

She jumped into an open doorway nearby and hid in the shadows. The group of Digimon ran past it. Yolei sighed in relief and stepped out from the doorway. Before she could take a step, a shuriken fell dangerously close to her toes.

"Who did that?" Yolei demanded, bringing her lightsaber to life once more.

A high-pitched laugh came from the trees. A piece of bark lifted up until it was torn completely off, revealing the assailant beneath it.

"It was I, Ninjamon," the creature said with a smirk. He spun his sword around in circles. "And I challenge you, Destined Jedi, to a duel. That is, if you think you're brave enough to fight me."

Yolei snickered and raised her saber above her head.

"Big mistake, shorty," she said. "You're not the only tricky warrior in this town."

* * *

Tai and Sora turned into an alley and hid in the shadows as the group of controlled Digimon ran past the entrance to the alley. The two Jedi stepped out and looked around to make sure no more were coming.

Tai sighed in relief. "I think we lost them," he said.

"Where's everybody else?" asked Sora.

Davis and Cody rounded the corner at that moment. They were blocking lasers being fired at them from the Dark Rings. On the other side of the street, TK and Kari were running to get away from the mob of Digimon that was chasing them.

"PSST! PSST!"

The two Jedi jumped at the noise. It was so unexpected. They slowly turned themselves around, sabers gripped tightly in their hands. A flash of pink caught their eyes. Mimi peeked out from beneath a manhole cover.

"Guys!" she whispered hoarsely.

Tai smiled. "Mimi, it's you. What are you doing down there?"

A Gekomon popped up beside Mimi to look at them.

"We've found a way for you to get out," it said. "Come down this way."

Tai and Sora weren't sure what to think. Traveling in the sewer was not something they wanted to relive again after their first adventure. Even so, it was the most viable option of escaping undetected. They made up their minds.

"Guys, come on!" Tai cried, ushering for Davis and Cody to run towards them. "We've found a way out. Get over here!"

The two young male Jedi used the Force to push their assailants back into the alleyway before running to him. TK and Kari pushed themselves a bit harder to avoid the wave of blaster fire whizzing over their heads.

"Get in the manhole! Get in the manhole!" Tai urged, pushing them towards it.

TK, Kari, and Cody jumped in without a second thought, but Davis was surprised that there was one. He didn't remember there being any manholes in his history lessons on the Edo period.

"Doesn't this seem-" he started to say, but was cut off.

"NO TIME!" Tai pushed him into the hole before jumping in himself.

Sora looked around the street. Where was Yolei?

"Come on, Sora," Tai called to her. "Let's go!"

"Not without Yolei," the Jedi of Love replied. "There's still no sign of her anywhere. I'm going to go find her. You guys keep going."

"I'm sure she's fine. She can handle herself."

The sounds of a lightsaber colliding with another weapon reached their ears. The two looked up at the rooftops across the street and saw the missing girl. She was currently battling a small ninja-like Digimon. Sweat dripped down her face from the ferocity of the battle.

The two combatants slammed their weapons together. Ninjamon's sword was made of a special metal that was resistant to lightsaber blades so he was able to match Yolei's offense without trouble. Yolei was most thrown off by the speed the creature had as they locked blades.

"Yolei!" Sora yelled, snapping the girl out of her battle-induced haze. "Quit fooling around with that ninja and let's get out of here."

The lavender-haired Jedi looked down at the call of her name and saw the Jedi of Love looking up at her like her mother would when it was time to go home. She looked back at Ninjamon with a smirk.

"Sorry, but my master calls," she said, breaking their lock and leaping off of the roof to join the others.

Ninjamon could only watch as his opponent disappeared down the manhole with the other Jedi. He gripped his sword tightly, infuriated at having his fun interrupted.

"This isn't over, Jedi!" he yelled. "You may think you've won the battle, but you are going to lose the war." A small smirk worked up his face before muttering, "My master will see to that."

* * *

"On behalf of all the Gekomon, we thank you for coming to our aid in these desperate times, Destined Jedi," said ShogunGekomon. "The Digimon Emperor has been giving us so much trouble."

Another Gekomon spoke directly to Mimi. "Princess Mimi, we knew that you would come back to save us," it said. "We owe everything to you and your friends."

Mimi blushed in embarrassment at being referred to by her former title.

"Oh, it was nothing," she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "We wouldn't let that bully that calls himself the Digimon Emperor terrorize you anymore. Right, guys?"

The rest of the group nodded in agreement. They were now in the throne room of the Gekomon's palace. All of them had gone underground to hide from the Emperor, even if it was just for a little while.

Tai stepped forward to speak. "No matter what happens, Ken will not rest until we are all found. He hasn't come this far only to lose to us again. He's going to pull out whatever stops he can."

"That's right," Sora agreed. "He might destroy the entire village if he has to."

The Gekomon and Otamamon gasped in horror. Even ShogunGekomon looked like he was gravely concerned with that possibility. If they couldn't live here in peace, then he and his subjects would have nowhere else to go.

"Don't worry," Mimi assured them with a smile. "We aren't going to let that happen. The Digimon Emperor is not going to get this whole area without a fight. Your princess will protect you."

"Oh, thank you, Princess Mimi!" The Gekomon and Otamamon cried, laying themselves down at her feet. "We don't know where we would be without you."

ShogunGekomon yawned. "If you'll excuse me, I must retire for a while," he said before leaving the room to go take a nap.

Yolei's eyes glimmered at Mimi. She thought the girl was cool before, but now that admiration was borderline worship. The group gathered in a circle, waiting to hear what the Jedi of Sincerity had to say.

"What's the plan, Mimi?" she asked.

"Here's the plan…"

* * *

Ken peeked through the crack in the ceiling tiles to look down at the monstrosity sleeping below him. Now that the Gekomon had enlisted the Destined Jedi's help, he had to make a move as quickly as possible. It would not be long before they started looking for him.

"Master," Ninjamon whispered. "What are we doing next?"

Ken glared at him. "Who's '_we'_, you little pipsqueak?" he asked darkly. "You failed me yet again when you failed to destroy the Inoue girl."

"B-But, boss," Ninjamon stuttered nervously, raising his hands defensively. "She escaped before I could do anything. You told me just to have some fun."

That did not seem to satisfy Ken's anger. He lifted Ninjamon into the air with one gesture of his hand.

"It was implied that you destroy the Jedi before they could get to me," he growled. "What are you, so small-minded that you can't follow orders?"

"I'm sorry, my lord," Ninjamon pleaded. "Please forgive me! I will not mess up again. I promise!"

The ninja shut his eyes. His body shook with terror as he waited to see what Ken had in mind for him.

Two seconds went by and nothing happened. Hesitantly, he opened one eye and saw the Emperor with a pleasant smile on his face. He was surprised by the total change in the human's demeanor.

"Don't worry, Ninjamon," he said. "I'll let you have another chance."

"H-Huh?" Ninjamon squeaked.

"Maybe I was a little too harsh on you. I know you did your best."

Ninjamon relaxed slightly. "T-Thank you, Master. I won't disappoint you again, even if it means the Jedi end up taking this town back from you."

Ken's kind smile evaporated. Before Ninjamon could react, a flash of blue entered his vision followed by the searing sensation of the lightsaber being slashed through his body. The next moment, Ninjamon was nothing but data.

The Digimon Emperor gave barely a passing glance at the spot Ninjamon was just at before turning his attention to ShogunGekomon.

'_The only person you can trust to do something is yourself,' _he grumbled, a sick smile rising up his face. He took a Dark Ring from his pocket.

"Alright, you big pile of phlegm, time to wake up!" he cried, throwing the device right at ShogunGekomon. The ring darted straight for its target and latched on around his topknot.

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" Cody asked after Mimi explained what her plan was.

The Jedi of Sincerity nodded. "Positive. It's the only way that we'll be able to win this battle."

"Yeah, come on, Cody!" Yolei exclaimed energetically. "There's nothing we can't do!"

The boy, however, was not so sure about it. After everything that happened that day, he wasn't sure if using someone as bait to draw Ken out was a good idea. He was ruthless in his pursuit of them that dangling "meat" in front of him would be too much to pass up.

"Be fast, be quick, and keep your wits about you," Tai advised. "Let's get this guy, team."

"Right!"

The entire palace rumbled loudly. The ground shook like it was an 8.0 magnitude earthquake, throwing everyone and everything around like rag dolls. A loud roar echoed through the palace. The Jedi and Gekomon ran out of the building to see what was going on.

TK's eyes widened. "Oh, we have a _big_ problem here."

ShogunGekomon was on the rampage, destroying everything in sight. His eyes were red with a Dark Ring around his topknot. All of the buildings close to the palace were completely flattened, and the large king frog looked like he would not be stopping any time soon.

An Otamamon gulped nervously.

"We're in trouble," it squeaked.

Before anyone could move, the group of Mushroommon and Floramon returned, blocking off any escape route. The Jedi were stuck with nowhere to go. It was either risking being flattened by ShogunGekomon, cornered by the controlled Digimon, or the possibility of running into Ken. Neither were good options.

Tai gritted his teeth, determined to fight his way out despite the odds against them.

"Alright, here's what we'll do," he said. "Sora, Kari, you two come help me deal with Jumbo. Mimi, get the Gekomon and Otamamon out. TK, you take the others and deal with these guys. Let's go!"

"W-Wait!" Cody exclaimed, but his cries fell on deaf ears. Mimi left with the Gekomon and Otamamon while Tai, Sora, and Kari took off in the direction towards ShogunGekomon. TK and the others went off down the street to lure the group of Digimon away. He was now completely alone.

A snicker came from above him.

"Alone at last," the owner of the laugh teased. "I honestly thought they were never going to leave."

Cody's lightsaber sprang to life as he turned to look up.

"Ken," he hissed.

"Hello, small fry," Ken returned the gesture by unleashing his own blue lightsaber. "I don't think we've ever had a moment to ourselves before. I'd like to have a talk with you, man to man."

Cody raised his lightsaber as he jumped up to Ken's position. Their weapons clashed with ferocity as they exchanged attacks. Ken may have seemed like he was on the defensive, but he was actually toying with the boy.

"Such anger in your form," he murmured. "Where does all this anger come from?" He then feigned surprise. "Oh, wait, I think I know why. It's because your daddy was gunned down in cold blood like a coward, right?"

Cody snapped. He jumped right at Ken, wanting to plunge his lightsaber deep into the Emperor's chest for saying that, but Ken was ready with a counterattack. Force lightning jetted out from his fingertips and engulfed the boy.

"Now, Cody, I do not want to get into this with you," Ken scolded like a mother would over Cody's screams. "We're civilized human beings. We should use our words instead of resorting to our fists."

The lightning ceased, and so did Cody's excruciating cries.

"Life is cheap and short," Ken continued. "My brother learned that the hard way when he bit off more than he could chew."

He pulled Cody up by the folds of his yukata and held him a couple inches above the ground. The boy was still recovering from the onslaught of Force lightning so he could not stop Ken from punching him straight in the face.

"You're as weak and pathetic as he was," the Emperor hissed, throwing Cody down onto the tiled roof. "Show me you're a man, Cody. Get up and fight me. End all of your suffering by striking me down with all the hatred you have for me."

Cody stumbled as he struggled to get up. His eyes were fixed solely on Ken as everything else faded from his detection. His green lightsaber roared to life again. Like two outlaws in an American Western movie, the two locked eyes and waited for the other to make the first move.

Cody bounced impatiently and finally ran straight for Ken. Their sabers clashed together in a flash of light. The Digimon Emperor dodged the next attack and knocked Cody's lightsaber out of his hand with a powerful strike. The saber fell to the ground below.

They both breathed heavily to get air back into their lungs after expelling most of their energy.

"You would have been better off joining me, Cody," Ken sneered. "But I can see now that it's a waste of my time. We'll meet again soon, my little friend."

He raised his hand and a Force wave erupted from it, sending Cody off of the rooftop and onto the dirt ground with a thud. The smaller Jedi picked himself up and called his lightsaber to his hand with the Force.

When he looked up, the Emperor was gone. He let out a sharp breath in disappointment. The last words echoed in his ears.

'_Life is cheap and short.'_

* * *

TK, Davis, and Yolei used the Force to give them an extra burst of speed down the street, kicking up dirt and dust from the ground. With their momentum, they jumped onto the nearest rooftop and hid on the other side to avoid attacks. Explosions went off around them from the Mushroommon's mushroom bombs and lasers whizzed past their heads from the Floramon.

"What's the plan, TK?" Yolei asked.

TK adjusted the goggles on his hat as a smirk rose up his face.

"We have to free them from the Dark Rings," he replied. "Davis, you take the section on the left. Yolei, you take the right, and I'll take the middle. Wait for my signal."

"What signal?" Davis started to ask, but TK had already slid down to the ledge and disappeared from sight. He sighed. "Always on the move."

He and Yolei waited for anything that could be interpreted as a signal for them to begin their attack. The sounds of explosions and lasers going through the air suddenly stopped.

"Get him!" One of the Digimon cried, followed by a lightsaber emerging.

Davis looked over the crease at the top of the roof and saw TK already slicing through Dark Rings below. That must have been the signal.

"Let's go!" he said to Yolei.

She nodded and the two brought their lightsabers to life before leaping from the roof to the ground below. They wasted no time jumping into action, blocking blaster fire and slicing through Dark Rings that were within arm's reach. Davis deflected a blaster bolt right into a Dark Ring, shattering it and freeing a Mushroommon from its control.

Between the three of them, the Jedi managed to destroy all the Dark Rings that once held the innocent Digimon at their mercy.

A representative from both groups of Digimon bowed before the Jedi in thanks for freeing them from the Rings' influence.

"Thank you for freeing us, Destined Jedi," they both said. "We owe you our lives."

TK smiled. "We're glad we could help you. Get out while you still have a chance. We'll go take care of the Emperor and stop ShogunGekomon before he destroys the entire village."

The Mushroommon and Floramon nodded. "Right," they said before running down the street to get out.

"Let's go help Tai and the others," the blonde-haired Jedi told his two comrades.

"Right behind ya, TK," Davis replied as the three jumped across the rooftops to where their friends were.

* * *

"MUSICAL FIST!"

A powerful gust of wind shot out the horns on ShogunGekomon's shoulders towards the three Jedi. Sora and Kari jumped out of the way, but Tai was blown through a wooden ladder behind them and into an open window.

"Tai!" Kari cried. She made a move to his position, but was stopped by another sonic wave from ShogunGekomon cutting in front of her.

"He'll be fine, Kari, just focus on destroying the Dark Ring," Sora assured her, trying to keep the younger girl's focus on their mission. Even so, she also was worried about Tai. Sora looked back behind her and saw the Jedi of Courage emerge from the window.

Kari jumped to another rooftop and went around the area to distract ShogunGekomon. The frog took the bait and focused on her, launching sonic waves from its horns. Tiles were blown in all directions as each attack missed her.

"Keep running, Kari!" Tai yelled as he rejoined Sora. "It's working!"

The Jedi of Courage looked around for something they could do to help her out. With ShogunGekomon now turned away from them, they could attack from behind.

He and Sora made eye contact.

"You ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "Right with you."

The two sprang into action right away. Tai went for one of ShogunGekomon's legs, grazing his lightsaber along the flesh of its calf. The frog king roared in pain and turned his gaze onto the Jedi of Courage.

"Yeah, that's right," Tai snickered, backing up to dare ShogunGekomon to come after him. "Come and get me, ugly!"

"Tai, get out of there!" Kari cried.

Tai's attempt at distraction worked. ShogunGekomon followed him wherever he went. The frog kicked its legs at him, but Tai would dodge at the last second. It was quickly turning into a game of whack-a-mole with ShogunGekomon becoming more and more frustrated with every miss.

"Stop moving, you little insect!" he roared.

"Try and make me!" Tai shot back, blowing a raspberry.

ShogunGekomon shook with fury as it balled up one of its flippers into a fist. Tai was too busy making faces and teasing him to notice. Kari wanted to strangle him for getting distracted.

"Tai, watch out!" she yelled as ShogunGekomon sent its fist right at him.

Tai turned around, but it was too late for him to avoid the attack. He closed his eyes and waited for the fist to make contact with him.

"Look out!"

Tai didn't see who it was as he fell to the ground. ShogunGekomon's fist collided with something because a pained groan was heard, followed by a crash and the splintering of wood. He opened his eyes and looked up. A few feet away, a red yukata and auburn hair stuck out from beneath the wood.

Terror gripped Tai's heart.

"SORA!" he screamed, running straight for her as TK, Davis, and Yolei came onto the scene. The three of them went for ShogunGekomon while Tai went for the Jedi of Love.

TK avoided ShogunGekomon's foot and sent a Force Wave to the large frog. The wave was so powerful that it knocked ShogunGekomon off of his feet and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"All yours, Davis," the blonde winked.

Davis nodded and brought his lightsaber to life as he ran to the top of the frog's head. He sliced the Dark Ring clean off with one strike, and ending the nightmare that plagued the village.

ShogunGekomon mumbled and flickered his eyes open as the effects of the Dark Ring started to wear off. His eyes returned to normal from the blood red they were before.

"Ugh," he moaned. "What happened?"

"You were under the Dark Ring's control," TK explained. "But it's all over now."

The frog slowly sat up and rose to his feet.

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, Destined Jedi," he bowed in apology. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, just name it. We are forever in your debt."

Kari smiled. "Just the fact you're okay is enough for us. We know you didn't mean to do all of this."

"Yeah," Davis added. "No worries."

ShogunGekomon bowed one more time before leaving with a final, "May the Force be with you."

A few feet away, Tai was blinded by his emotions as he tossed away debris, focused solely on freeing Sora from beneath the rubble she was buried under. He pulled the beam off her stomach. Sora was covered in bruises, blood dripped down the side of her face.

"Sora, are you okay?" Tai picked her up in his arms. His whole body shook with fear, remembering what happened last time she was in this state.

Sora smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are _you _okay?"

Tai couldn't help but smile at her response. "Crazy girl," he softly chuckled. "What were you thinking?"

"My friend was in trouble."

Tai found he couldn't argue with that. Sora had a habit of doing that to him.

* * *

The rain came down in buckets as night fell on Tokyo. Luckily, the Jedi had the foresight to bring umbrellas with them in case it rained that day.

Tai dropped Kari off at home so that he and Sora could walk back to her apartment alone. Yolei quickly healed Sora's injuries after they got back from the Digital World, so the auburn-haired Jedi was able to walk without problems.

Tai had an arm around Sora's shoulders, his umbrella tilted to the side so he could reach her. The two talked about school life, and today's adventure, with snickers and laughter in between. It didn't take them both long to reach Sora's apartment.

"Well, here we are," he said, taking a breath in with an awkward grin and letting it out just as fast.

Sora smiled at him. "Thanks for walking me home."

Tai's cheeks turned red and removed his arm. "No problem," he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Thanks for saving me earlier, crazy girl. Hey," he placed a hand on one of her shoulders with concern, "Are you sure you're all healed up? That's twice now, and I was…" Tai looked down at his feet to try and sum up his thoughts. "Scared. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"Like I said, my friend was in trouble, and I couldn't let anything happen to you. You mean more to me than you know, Tai."

It took a second for Sora to realize what she just said. She and Tai both turned red - redder in his case.

"Y-You know what I mean," she stuttered, then groaned, resting her forehead on a hand in embarrassment. "Good night."

Tai let out an awkward grin, fidgeting with his umbrella handle. "Uh, yeah. Good night."

Sora walked to her front door as Tai waited for her to enter. Her hand rested on the doorknob, while the other dropped her open umbrella next to the door, then paused. She stared at her umbrella, then back to the hand that was resting on the doorknob.

She turned around facing her best friend. Pressing her lips inwardly together and taut, she took a deep breath in then quickly exhaled through her nose while studying Tai.

"Sora?" Tai asked curiously.

Before she knew it, Sora's feet acted on their own will as she walked over to the Jedi of Courage...and planted a kiss on his cheek. It happened so fast that neither had time to process it right away. The two stared at the other in shock at what just happened – Tai more so, allowing the umbrella to fall to the ground. The two were now completely exposed to the rain as it fell on their heads.

"See ya tomorrow," Sora said with a nervous chuckle after shaking her head, breaking from the shock.

She turned around quickly, and ran into to her apartment, shutting the door behind her.

Tai stood right where he was, his wet clothes stuck to his skin, staring at the metal door in a daze. His hand reached up to touch the spot on his cheek where Sora kissed him. Still in the daze, he picked up his open umbrella and held it to his side instead of using it to shield himself from the rain. He turned and headed home. After a few steps, his heart swelled with joy and he jumped in ecstasy with a shout to the sky. Life couldn't get better than this.

* * *

A loud crash echoed in the throne room of the Digimon Emperor's base. Another defeat suffered at the hands of the Destined Jedi. Ken could not believe it as he punched the back support on his throne. Why couldn't he defeat those annoying kids? What did they have that he didn't? He was the Digimon Emperor, the most powerful being in the Digital World! There was nothing he couldn't do.

"Why can't I kill them?" he growled. "This game is getting tougher all the time. I'm the ultimate being, they're nothing! NOTHING!"

Ken ripped the gauntlet from his left hand, revealing a black spot in the shape of a rosebud on his wrist. Whispers echoed in his ear. Ken thought for a moment that they were coming from the spot itself. It was taunting him.

"Stop that," he muttered. A finger rested on the spot and rubbed slowly. The whispers in his ears would not stop.

"Out damned spot. Out I say!" he yelled. "I will not fail. The Destined Jedi will eventually run out of luck, and when they do, I will be there to complete the objective. This is just a bump in the road. Eventually, I will clear it."

But the whispers still would not stop. Ken rubbed his finger a little faster along his wrist. The spot would still not come off.

"Why won't this stain be gone?" his voice weakened as his desperation grew. "LEAVE NOW! I BEG OF YOU!"

Ken's finger was a blur now, but it was no use. Nothing he did was going to remove the spot from his wrist. It was a stain that was forever marked on him. One that would haunt him until the day he died.

_Lifeless eyes. _

Ken's breath hitched.

_Blood spilled all over the concrete sidewalk, staining it with the thick red liquid. _

'_No!' _

Ken buried his hands in his hair and tightened it painfully. A blood-curling scream shot out of his mouth.

"GO AWAY!" he shouted, sounding like a frightened child who wanted to go home. "PLEASE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" His whole palm now started rubbing the spot. "I hate this game! I HATE THIS GAME! GET THIS CONTROLLER OUT OF ME!"

Ken finally got a grip on himself. His eyes were still transfixed on the mark on his arm as his other hand reached into his pocket. His fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife and pulled it out, unsheathing the blade. He pointed it straight at the spot on his wrist.

"GET IT OUT!" he screamed, thrusting the edge of the knife down to his wrist to cut the spot out.

But something grabbed his wrist, stopping it just merely an inch before the blade could sink into his skin. He gasped. It was the same presence he had felt many times before.

"No! Don't do this now. Can't you see I want this to be over?" he whimpered, fighting against the force that was holding his wrist back. Ken pulled his arm back and pushed it down to try and break free, but the presence stopped him before the tip of the knife could taste flesh.

"SAM! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE, SAM! PLEASE, GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Ken's wrist twisted, causing him to drop the knife from his hand. The Digimon Emperor felt the sensation of being pushed to the ground. That did it for him. He burst into tears, loudly sobbing.

"PLEASE!" he screamed, tears streaking down his cheeks. "I BEG OF YOU! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Ken screamed with every bit of power in his lungs, the sound filling the entire base. He curled up in a fetal position and just laid there and sobbed.

'_What's done cannot be undone.'_

* * *

**What is Ken hiding? Has he finally lost his mind? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**I had been anxious to do this chapter for a long time, guys, as you can clearly see why. And it looks like Tai and Sora are well on their way to starting something special. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and are excited for what is coming next time. The group celebrate the third anniversary of when they became the Destined Jedi and look back on how far they have come. Then, something happens at the TV station which leads to new information in their fight against the Digimon Emperor. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you haven't. **

**I'll see y'all next weekend. I promise it will be. You can quote me on it. You all have a very Digi-Christmas. **


	19. The Ghost Of Odaiba

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes they are ;-)**

**Music Chick: It's about time either of them made the first move XD Yeah, we'll see what how Ken changes from that whole experience. **

**Ratchet McCloud: I was going for Macbeth, but Tell Tale Heart works too. Thanks a lot, my friend. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: All of those things you brought up will be addressed in the near future ;-) Thank you for your continuous reviews.**

* * *

**Hey guys. Hope you all had a great holiday and new year. I know I promised to update last week, but I guess my mind said 'Shut it down for the holidays' and that's what I did. **

**Last time, the group went to a small village called Little Edo to save the Gekomon and Otamamon from the grasp of the Digimon Emperor. While they succeeded, the Emperor looks like he has started to crack from the stress of his defeats. Also, Tai and Sora seem like they're getting somewhere. **

**On with the show.**

* * *

Ashtrays full of still-smoking cigarettes and cups of coffee littered the desk as the two men sat around the computer. It was another late day at the office for the Fuji TV employees, but these two were especially hard at work.

Chioka Haruno, known as 'Charlie' to his colleagues, lit another cigarette as he and the editor looked at footage recently shot for a new television show that he was directing. Three years after the incident in Odaiba, Chioka had started coming into his own after receiving a good word of reference from Hiroaki Ishida. His career was starting to take off, and he believed that this show would be the gateway to bigger projects.

"Alright, I think we're good," said the editor, taking a sip of coffee. "You ready to see the whole thing, Charlie?"

The young man took the cigarette out of his mouth. "Yeah. I'm telling ya, this show is going to put me on the map," he said, bouncing with excitement. "Next, they'll be begging me to do movies."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, big guy," the other man replied sharply. He moved the mouse around until it was over the play button on the screen. "Hold on to your butt."

With a click, the video started to play.

Everything seemed fine for the first few seconds, but then the editor saw something on the corner of the screen that was driving him nuts.

"You sure you cleaned the camera before you shot this, Charlie?" he asked.

The younger man made a noise in surprise.

"Yeah, of course I did," he replied, taking a drag before putting the cigarette in the ashtray. "I double checked it too. Why?"

The editor pointed to a dark shadow on the screen. "You see that? What's that shadow there? If you cleaned the camera, you didn't do a very good job of it."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I'm not calling you a truther."

While the two men argued, the shadow started to move all over the screen until it vanished. Chioka noticed and stopped the arguing.

"Oh, look. It's gone," he said with a sigh of relief. "Maybe it was just on that one shot. I'm sure we can edit that out."

The editor shrugged. "Whatever you say."

So the two men continued watching through. The shadow looked like it was gone for good. After two more minutes, though, the shadow returned. This time, it lingered longer than it did before. As they took a closer look, the shadow started to take the form of a small person. Both men turned pale.

"What is that?" the man at the computer asked in a small voice.

"I don't know," Chioka breathed. "You don't think this place is haunted, do you?"

"That's impossible! This place just got rebuilt a year ago. Ghosts don't haunt new places, Charlie."

"I'm gonna go tell the boss about this."

Chioka ran out of the editing room and down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him. His journey took him up three escalators and two sets of stairs before he finally reached the door to the programming director's office.

"Hiroaki!" he cried as he burst through the door.

The man jumped away from his computer in surprise at the sudden entry. He put the cigarette out in the ashtray on his desk before giving the younger man his full attention.

Hiroaki Ishida looked even older than his thirty-eight years would otherwise tell. The bags under his eyes were a lot deeper, the wrinkles on his face sharper. He still had a love-hate relationship with smoking that was on again, off again. He had been the program director for six months in what was supposed to be a promotion, but turned out to be even more exhausting than his previous position.

"Charlie, what's up?" he asked.

"We've got a problem with the computers," Chioka said. "There's this shadow that keeps appearing all over the place on every screen. I think the place could be haunted."

Hiroaki frowned. "Be real with me here. Did you check everything? Maybe it was just the one computer."

"No, this problem's everywhere. What do we do?"

The older man sighed and took a sip of coffee. "Alright, I'll take a look at it."

"Thanks."

Chioka walked out and closed the door behind him. Hiroaki buried his face on the cold glass top of his desk and let out an exhausted sigh.

'_I'm getting too old for this shit.'_

* * *

The Destined Jedi emerged from the other side of the digital divide after another long day's work. Ken was nowhere to be found, so they all did their part in helping the Gekomon rebuild their village. It was a long process that took most of the day, but it was rewarding seeing the Gekomon and Otamamon smile for the first time in a long time.

Davis let out an exhausted sigh. "Man, I'm beat," he said. "Let's go down to Aqua City and get some food."

"Shoyu ramen?" Cody's eyes brightened hopefully.

"Whatever you want, Cody," Davis winked at him. "I'll buy."

Late July meant extremely hot temperatures in the Tokyo area. By noon, it was a sweltering day, but now it was the late afternoon and temperatures were dangerously nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

It also meant wardrobe changes to much lighter clothing. TK wore light athletic shorts, a yellow Kobe Bryant jersey with a white muscle shirt underneath in addition to his hat and goggles. Davis had a royal blue tank top with a black stripe across the middle and athletic shorts. Kari wore a mature version of what she used to wear when she was younger, but with a pale yellow ascot around her neck.

"It is weird that we have not seen Ken in a few days," said Yolei. "You guys think he may be up to do something? Even when we hadn't seen him for that brief spell a while ago, he wasn't gone this long."

Davis groaned. "We just finished a long day, and you're worried about Ken?"

TK thinned his lips. "She has a point though. The Force has been clouded lately," he said. "Whenever we have gone, Ken's presence is barely a flicker. It's like Ken has shut himself off from the world."

"That's good though," Davis quipped. "Without him around, the Digital World is a much safer place. Peace can be restored."

"Don't be naïve, Davis," Kari said with a glare. "He's probably biding his time. We all need to be careful going forward."

"So, let's come back tomorrow and go find him."

TK and Kari glanced to each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"Tomorrow's not going to work," TK said. "We have plans tomorrow."

"Plans for what?" Yolei asked.

"Plans with me," Kari finished, which earned a scream from Davis. Cody and Yolei were intrigued by what she meant.

"You mean like a DATE?" Davis shrieked.

TK's cheeks turned slightly pink. Even though he knew she meant something else, it still would have been nice to have those other kinds of plans with her. If only he hadn't been such a doofus before.

"No, she doesn't mean that," he said. "Tomorrow's August 1st, which is a pretty special day for all of us Destined Jedi."

"How so?" Cody asked.

"That was the day us original seven went to the Digital World. Kari was sick with a cold and couldn't come with us, so it was just the older six kids and me. We didn't know where we were or why we were there. I was a little more cool with it than Joe was."

He stopped, but Cody wanted to know more. Joe had not told him any of this before.

"What did he do?" he asked.

TK chuckled. "I'm sure Joe will be happy to tell you when we all get together tomorrow in Daiba Park. To think that it's been three years since this whole thing started."

"I know," Kari echoed. "Do you guys want to come with us too? It's important that you remember how this whole thing started."

All three of the new Jedi nodded.

"Perfect. Then meet us early tomorrow."

* * *

The next day was bright and sunny, like fate was smiling down on the Destined Jedi to make this the most perfect day it could be. The group all met in Daiba Park as planned and sat down for a picnic.

The spread was full of a variety of foods. Instant ramen, yakitori, many different onigiris, and Sora's homemade meatballs with yakisoba. To them, there was not a better way to start their reminiscing than being with each other and rehashing old stories.

"Come on! Quit hogging the bowl, Davis," Yolei wrestled the boy for control of the bowl of dessert mochi. "Make sure to save some for the rest of us!"

"Wait your turn, four eyes!" Davis shot back.

TK spoke up to end the conflict. "Hey, guys. Come on. There's plenty for all of us. No need to fight, especially not today."

That eased things a bit as Davis took two from the bowl and passed it over to the lavender-haired girl. They all sat quietly and enjoyed their food.

Tai stared across the blanket at Sora. The outfit she wore was his favorite ever since the first time he saw her wearing it. A pink shirt and a red skirt that showed off her long, toned legs. A few dirty thoughts would always cross his mind when he caught sight of them, and he'd always have to pull himself back.

The kiss she gave him a couple days ago still lingered on his cheek like a third-degree burn. He hadn't told anyone about it yet because he still didn't know what to think about the action. Did this mean she liked him the way he thought she did, or was it just a friendly thing? Did _he _like her that way?

The Jedi of Love felt his eyes on her and made eye contact for the slightest of seconds. Tai cast his eyes down, his cheeks burning red. Hers were too. Tai's heart beat hard like a drum. He needed to get out.

"Izzy, can we talk for a second?" he said, grabbing the boy next to him and pulling him away from the blanket.

"Hey, Tai! What's going on? What are you doing?" Izzy protested as he was dragged behind a tree a few paces away from everyone else. "Why'd you do that?"

"I'm sorry," Tai apologized, "but I couldn't let everyone else hear this."

"Hear what? Is everything okay?"

The Jedi of Courage pushed aside hair that was dangling over his eyes and took a deep breath. His cheeks were still red as a tomato.

"I guess so," he replied. "I'm just really confused right now."

Izzy blinked. "Confused about what? Did something happen?"

A nod.

"Then what happened?"

Tai thinned his lips and let out a long exhale from his mouth.

"You know how after we finished up our job in Little Edo, I walked Sora home?" he asked, to which Izzy nodded. Tai took another breath as the events from that night played out again in his mind. "Well, when we said good night, she…she kissed me on the cheek."

Izzy's eyes widened, as what escaped from him was a shocked, "What!"

"Sshh!" Tai immediately covered his mouth, and rushed to looked over his shoulder. To his relief, no one looked their way.

"Are you serious?" Izzy whispered moving his friend's hand away. "Are you two –"

"No," Tai interrupted, frustrated with himself. "That's what I need to talk about. I get this isn't the best time, but you're the only one I'd rather talk to about this, and I can't keep this to myself any more."

"Tai, I'm not sure that I'm qualified enough for advice about stuff like this. Perhaps asking Mimi would be better?"

Tai's eyes fell to the ground in silence. He nodded his head once. "Right…Right. What was I thinking?"

Izzy groaned holding a palm to his forehead. "Oh, fine. Tell me. But promise me that if I give the wrong advice, I won't be blamed."

Relief for the second time washed over Tai. "Izzy, I'm not sure if you realize this, but I've always thought of you as my best friend. You've never steered me wrong."

"Wow. Thanks," Izzy said touched. "That means a lot." He glanced over to Sora to see she was laughing with Mimi. "So, she kissed you, but you two aren't dating. Did you kiss her back?"

Tai shook his head.

"Is that what you're confused about? That you didn't kiss her back?"

"I don't know," a frustrated sigh was released. "I guess I'm confused why didn't I kiss her back. Why didn't I stop her from leaving? Why didn't I at least call her? Why haven't I been able to stop thinking about her? She's always been my best friend too, and then one day she's about to die in my arms, and," Tai paused and looked over his shoulder to Sora. A soft smile crept on his face, "and, she's beautiful. Everything about her is just…_beautiful_."

Izzy grinned to himself while watching his best friend's reaction. "You know," he analyzed, "Now that I analyzed the past, the two of you always had a different kind of connection. It was subtle, but whenever I'd witness it, I could describe it like it was as natural as breathing air. Like two magnets always drawn to the other. I bet that sometime today, you'll eventually find that without realizing it, your arm is around her shoulders again."

Tai's mouth hung open. "Are you saying that I've always liked her, and never realized it?"

"No, but I do think the potential has always been there. Do you want to ask her out?"

"I-I don't know. I mean, this is my best friend. What if she didn't mean it that way? What if it was a 'thank you for saving me' kind of kiss?"

Izzy scratched his head, then shrugged. "Did it feel that way?"

Tai looked to Sora again, then back to Izzy. "Izzy, if I screw this up," he rubbed his face nervously. "Oh, man. The worst thing in the world is when she's upset with me. The agony of waiting until she's not mad at me anymore is too much."

"Well, Tai, the best thing I can tell you, going off of movies I've seen, is that if she kisses you, and you get that feeling it meant more than just friends, then it probably means she thinks of you in a different way than most friends do. Don't quote me on that though."

Tai stared far off with a dreamy smile. "She likes me."

Izzy smiled, satisfied with Tai's enlightenment. It was high time the bushy haired teenager realized his feelings for the auburn-haired Jedi of Love.

Tai's smile widened as he faced Izzy. "She likes me. Out of anyone else she could've picked, she chose me."

"Then ask her out," Izzy said in a matter of fact tone.

Tai's face paled.

"What's wrong?"

"Izzy, pal," Tai put an arm around Izzy's shoulders, "When the day comes that you like someone, then you'll understand why it's not that simple."

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "Why can't it be that simple? It's only complicated if you make it like that."

"I don't know," Tai shrugged. "You might be right."

"Of course, I'm right," the Jedi of Knowledge responded again in a matter-of-fact tone. "Let's get through today first and see how you feel afterwards. If nothing's changed, then get the girl."

A grin formed with the Jedi of Courage. "Get the girl, huh? As simple as that?"

"Sure, Tai," Izzy encouraged.

Tai snorted before patting Izzy on the shoulder. "What would I do without you, Izzy? You're a real pal."

Izzy smiled back and they rejoined everyone else.

After cleaning up, they walked around the entire island, remembering everything that had happened only three years ago. They went by the Big Sight, where everyone in the district was held captive while Myotismon searched for the eighth Destined Jedi. Kari.

Davis' palms started sweating as he eyed the large triangular structure. Some things he wished to forget flashed before his eyes. He tried looking past the Big Sight to something else, but Matt continued droning on about what transpired there.

Tai looked back at the young Jedi and saw the fear in his eyes.

"Everything okay, Davis?" he asked.

"Not really," the boy replied, biting the inside of his lower lip. "I don't like coming by this place. It gives me the creeps."

"Why is that?"

Davis glanced down at his feet for a moment and took a sharp breath in.

"I was one of the kids that were captured," he said. "I was afraid that this bat was going to kill me if I wasn't this child that it was looking for. Someone broke us out and we were just about to escape, but got captured again."

A vision of blonde hair flashed before his eyes, and he recognized the face. His eyes widened.

"The one that freed us was you, Matt," he gasped.

The Jedi of Friendship nodded. "That's right. And your sister almost squeezed me to death when she tried to thank me for it."

Tai and Izzy chortled, earning a glare from Matt.

"Shut up!"

"Look, can we just go now, please?" Davis pleaded. "I really want to get away from this place."

Tai nodded. "Sure," he said, patting the boy on the back. "It's alright. Nothing like that's gonna happen this time. I promise."

The burgundy-haired boy nodded with assurance and the group continued on their tour.

Next up was Fuji TV station, where the majority of the fighting took place. Kari was kidnapped and taken there by Myotismon. Just as he was about to kill her, the rest of the Jedi showed up and came to her aid. The mood turned somber when the older kids mentioned Wizardmon.

"What happened to him?" Davis asked, sensing the uneasy atmosphere.

Kari felt tears start to prick her eyelids. She sniffled a couple of times to get herself under control. She finally said with a shaky voice that she was trying to keep stable, "As Myotismon was about to kill me, Wizardmon jumped in and took the saber instead. He died protecting me."

Tai knew she was about to break down so he pulled her into his chest and let her sob. Everyone else looked at her solemnly.

Davis reached out for her to provide some extra reassurance. His hand rested on her shoulder. The warmth of her skin beneath his hand made his face erupt with redness.

"It's okay, Kari," he said, unsure of what else to say. "I'm sure he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew your life was more valuable than his. It was a sacrifice I'm sure he was happy to make."

Kari looked back at him from her brother's chest. Her eyes were red and tears streamed down her face. Davis couldn't tell whether she was angry at him for saying that or if she needed to hear that. He anxiously waited for her response.

Kari moved to him…and _hugged _him.

"Thanks," she murmured into the crook of his neck. "I needed that."

Davis' face erupted with redness and felt like the world had stopped turning. Kari was hugging him! This was something he had been waiting for his whole life. He looked down in shock, thinking he was going to wake up right now. But Kari remained in that spot. She really was hugging him!

"N-No problem," he said, unsure of what to do. His arms shook as they rose up to wrap around her back.

No one said anything as they respected the somber moment. TK, however, was steaming. He glared at the boy as he held Kari in his arms. So that was what it was becoming between them, huh? What else was going on in their training sessions with Tai. His hands folded into tightly clenched fists, his face started turning a different shade of red.

"TK, you alright?" Matt asked, sensing the unease from the younger blonde.

TK snapped out of his haze and relaxed. He smiled innocently.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said.

Once Kari had calmed down, the group continued their way around Odaiba. Once they returned to Daiba Park, Matt took TK aside.

"You wanna sleep over tonight?" he asked. "It's been awhile since we've been in the same place outside of Digital World business."

"Yeah, sure," TK replied. "Will Dad be okay with this?"

"He's been putting in a lot of hours lately and hasn't been home much. Plus, it's you, so I don't think he'll mind."

TK nodded. "Okay, sounds good."

* * *

The pungent smell of dirty socks and unwashed dishes blasted TK's nose once he stepped inside the apartment. The whole place looked like it had not been cleaned in a while. Everywhere he looked, there was dust, left-out food wrappers, even the hardwood floors looked like they had seen better days. It just hit TK how long it had been since he had been there.

"How do you guys keep living like this?" he said.

Matt chuckled good-naturedly. "Very funny," he said. "If you must know, I cleaned up a bit yesterday."

TK pulled a pair of boxer shorts off the floor that smelled heavily of crotch. His eyes almost watered from the smell.

"How long have these been here, huh?" he teased before taking a sniff. He squeezed his nose in repulsion. "Wooohooo! I don't think these have been washed in weeks."

Matt blushed with embarrassment. "Shut up," he shot back, taking the boxers from him and tossing them into a nearby hamper. "Dad's been working a lot of hours and I've been rehearsing with my band. I'm also helping you guys with your battles too, so that doesn't leave me a lot of time to do stuff around the house."

"Oh, right," TK scratched the back of his head.

"You know he's the programming director at the station now, right?"

"Yeah, I heard. That's awesome."

"Yeah, but it means he's been working even more than he used to. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come home at all today."

Matt picked up the rest of the clothes and put them in the hamper before taking it into the laundry room. While he was gone, TK sat down at the dining room table. Comparing his mother's apartment to his father's, it was almost night and day. His mom's apartment was much more clean and orderly, unlike here. One could definitely tell two guys lived in this apartment.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Matt said as he came back into the room and sat down across from TK. "You hungry? We don't have a lot, but I can whip something up for ya."

TK shrugged. "How about we just order take out? I'm fine with that."

"Nah, let's save the money." Matt then smirked. "You dare doubt my cooking abilities?"

"You, never," TK returned, and they both shared a laugh.

Matt got up and pulled some rice and curry mix out of the pantry, then some vegetables and wasabi from the fridge. TK was surprised, but waited to see what his brother had in mind.

A little while later, the curry was ready and Matt put a bowl in front of TK. The younger blonde chowed down every last bit without thinking. He was so hungry that he would eat anything in front of him.

That thinking would come back to haunt him.

"SPICY!" he screamed once the wasabi taste erupted through his nose and throat. He reached for the glass of water next to him and gulped down all of it. "Are you trying to kill me or something?"

Matt pounded the table in hysterics. "I told you to be careful," he gasped, wiping tears from his eyes. "That's all you, man."

"You asshole!" TK playfully punched Matt in the shoulder, but laughed along with him. It had been a while since they shared a moment like this. "What did you put in that curry?"

"My own secret ingredient," the older blonde smirked. "Wasabi."

The laughter soon died down. It was now just the two of them sitting in silence. Matt took a sip of water to break the ice.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" TK had a feeling that this was going into personal territory. He leaned in to hear more.

"I want you to hear this from me before you hear it from Mom or anyone else, but Dad's getting out there again."

TK raised an eyebrow. "'Getting out there again' how?" he asked.

"He's been dating this woman for the last month," Matt elaborated. "Her name's Rumiko, and she works at NHK in Shibuya. I've met her already. She's really nice, and I think Dad really likes her."

The younger blonde's eyes widened in surprise. With all that work he's supposedly been doing, their dad was dating again? It was a bit of a shock, but not unwelcomed.

"Good for him," he replied with a weak smile. "Maybe she'll be a good influence on him. How'd they meet?"

"They met when Dad had to go for a meeting at NHK headquarters. They literally ran into each other on the elevator."

"How old is she?"

"She's in her early thirties."

TK laughed. "And she's dating a divorced guy almost in his forties?"

The front door opened and closed.

"_Tadaima_," came their father's voice.

"_Okaeri nasai_, Dad," Matt replied automatically.

Mr. Ishida came stumbling into the kitchen like Frankenstein's monster. TK saw just how tired and beat-up the man looked. He was ready to just fall down from exhaustion as he plopped himself in the chair next to Matt.

"What's for dinner, Matt?" the man mumbled. As he looked across the table, his eyes opened wider as he caught a glimpse of their guest. "Oh, hey, TK. What are you doing here?"

"Matt asked me if I wanted to sleep over tonight," TK replied. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Mr. Ishida replied with a nod. "You're always welcome here. Never forget that."

"You okay there, Dad?" Matt asked, concerned about the shape his father was in. "Just been working so much?"

"A little bit," his father took a cigarette out of a pack and lit it up. "But it's been a challenge. The last couple of days, something's been messing around with our monitors. A dark shadow's been reportedly seen by several of the staff, but every time I go look at it, there's nothing there. I think I'm losing my mind."

He pulled a tape player out of his pocket and put the headphones on. Buddhist chants flooded his ears and put him at ease.

"You want some coffee, Dad?"

"Sure, Matt. That would be great."

The older blonde went up to the coffee machine and got it started. "Oh, hey, Dad," he said. "Rumiko called earlier and asked if you'd meet her for a walk sometime this week."

The man was so immersed in the Buddhist chants that he did not reply.

"Dad!"

"What?" he replied, taking off the headphones.

"Rumiko called earlier and asked if you'd meet her to go for a walk this week."

Mr. Ishida blushed and a small smile rose up his face.

"Alright, I'll call her back later," he replied. His eyes settled on TK, which reminded him that he hadn't told him about her yet. "Rumiko is…"

But TK raised a hand to cut his father off. "Don't worry. Matt told me everything," he said. "I think it's awesome you're getting back out there again, Dad. Mom dates on occasion, but she's not seeing anybody right now."

Mr. Ishida clicked his tongue against his teeth. "I see," he replied. "It's nice having somebody to look after you and to laugh with again."

"And what am I?" Matt teased from the coffee machine.

His father chuckled. "Oh, stop it."

Matt came over with the mug and placed it in front of his father.

"Thanks," the man nodded in appreciation. He took a sip and his body started to wake up a little bit. "Ah, that hits the spot. Ya know, I've been thinking of taking a vacation lately. I haven't been on one in years, so I think it'll be a good chance to recharge my battery. I'm thinking Okinawa."

"That'd be great," Matt said. "Take Rumiko with you, and the two of you can relax together."

"That would be nice."

Mr. Ishida put his headphones back on and let the sounds of Buddhist sutras relax his exhausted brain. He even started chanting along with them, which only made his sons laugh at him.

"Come on, TK. Let's go play some _Tekken,_" Matt suggested with a smirk. "I'm gonna get you this time, buddy."

"Oh yeah?" TK shot. "We'll see about that."

They went into Matt's room, leaving their father alone in the kitchen. Mr. Ishida looked up and saw the plate of curry in front of him. His stomach rumbled in hunger.

Without thinking about it, he picked up a spoonful of curry and popped it into his mouth. It took a second for the heat to completely overwhelm his senses.

"ACK! TOO SPICY!"

* * *

Two days later, Chioka and members of his crew were crowded in the editing room, hoping that the problem with the shadow had been fixed for good this time. The young man had not slept in three days trying to find out what was wrong.

"Alright, Charlie, are you ready?" the editor asked. "We're positive we've got it taken care of."

Chioka sipped on a cup of coffee and smoked a cigarette. The dark circles under his eyes made him look ten years older.

"Roll the video," he finally said.

With a click of the mouse, the video started. At the start, everything seemed normal enough. The two men watched nervously.

Ten seconds. So far so good.

Twenty seconds.

A shadow flashed by at thirty seconds. Everyone shouted in disbelief. Chioka banged his head against the desktop several times. Coffee cups and ashtrays rattled on the desks, but stayed put.

"Kill me!" he groaned, sounding on the verge of tears. "Just shoot me right now, please."

"What's the matter, Charlie?" one member of the crew asked. "We can get it fixed. No big deal."

"It is a big deal, you idiot! We're supposed to have this ready for tomorrow night. Hiroaki is gonna have my head if we don't have this fixed by at least today." Chioka started crying. "My career is over!"

The door opened and in came a man in his mid-forties with glasses and beady eyes with a boom box in his hand.

"The soundtrack is finished," he said, completely unaware of the atmosphere in the room. "But there's something wrong with it."

The editor took control of the situation with their director still suffering through his emotional breakdown. Some of the crew stepped up to help comfort him.

"Weird how?" he asked as he started playing the tape. Nothing came through for several seconds. "What's going on? There's no noise coming out."

Suddenly, something that sounded like ragged breathing came through the speakers. It was a sound that chilled the crew down to their bones. Then a quiet, ghostly voice started to emerge in broken words that no one could understand.

"Ka..K…Kar….Ka…" it said in a garbled voice.

Everyone in the room went deathly pale.

"Wh-What is that?" One woman squeaked.

"It's the ghost!" Chioka screamed. "I'm letting Hiroaki know about this!"

He burst out of the editing room and went for the programming director's office on the floor above him.

When he got there, Hiroaki was having his lunch at his desk. The man put the plate of chicken katsu and rice to the side once he saw him.

"Hey, Charlie," he said. "Are we any closer to getting the shadow problem fixed?"

"No, this is worse!" the younger man said in a high voice. He cleared his throat and spoke at his normal tone. "We just got the score back, but instead of music, we're getting a voice. I think the ghost is trying to communicate with us."

Hiroaki let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Alright, I'll be right there. Just give me a few minutes."

"Thanks!" Chioka said before running out of the office.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Hiroaki pounded his desk with his fists. He had finally reached his limit. This whole ghost, spirit, whatever-it-is thing was going to be the death of him. He just knew it.

He glanced at the telephone for a second, then looked away. He looked back and reached for it. He dialed the phone number on the keypad and waited for several seconds. A familiar voice graced his ears.

"_Hello_?"

"Rumiko, I'll meet you at Yoyogi Park in thirty minutes," he said before hanging up and leaving the office.

* * *

The Destined Jedi walked to Fuji TV station. Kari was carrying a bouquet of roses with her as they got closer to the futuristic structure. It was on this day that Wizardmon had died while trying to protect Kari, so the group felt like laying a bouquet of flowers was a proper way to show their respect for his sacrifice.

But as the group got nearer, a large black cloud emerged overhead from out of nowhere and hovered over the building. Lightning then flashed around it, striking dangerously close every time. This was weird. It was supposed to be a bright sunny day, so how could it be about to rain?

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the building and plunged it into darkness. The Jedi gasped in horror.

"Hopefully no one was in an elevator," Davis joked.

Kari darted for the observation globe at the top of the building. There was a strong presence there.

"Kari, wait!" Tai cried, following after her. The rest of the group soon followed.

They knifed their way through crowds of people trying to escape the building. Some of the Jedi were briefly separated from the others, but knew where they were supposed to go and continued in that direction.

The escalator up to the observation globe was shut off, but that didn't stop Kari from walking up them like normal stairs. Once she reached the top, she entered the large, open room. The windows were blown out from the lightning strike.

A soft, ghostly voice reached her ears, calling her name in broken words.

"_Kar…Kar…Ka…K…Kari," _it said.

"Here I am," she replied nervously. "What do you want?"

The rest of the Jedi caught up with her. Just as they were about to ask what was wrong, a dark shadow started flying around the room with reckless abandon. Mimi screamed and jumped into Izzy's arms. He was able to hold her for a second before her weight became too much and they fell to the ground.

"Dad really wasn't going crazy," TK said with wide eyes. "There actually was a ghost here."

"But what does it want?" Davis cried, getting more unsettled as the seconds ticked by.

"It wants me," Kari replied, steeling up her courage to take a step forward.

"Be careful, Kari," Tai cautioned. One hand was on his saber in case he needed to jump in and help her.

Kari bit her bottom lip and resisted the urge to run away as she stood in the middle of the room. She put the bouquet of roses down on the floor and backed away slightly. The dark shadow went down to the floor and stayed there for a moment before rising up. A pale ghost with a pointed hat emerged from the floor.

When everyone saw who it was, the older kids gasped in surprise.

"_Kari." _

The girl smiled. "Wizardmon."

The wizard smiled back at her. He was outlined in blue light like a regular Force ghost, but Kari could still see right through him.

"_I'm glad you have come,_" he said. _"For I bring a message of hope for you all." _

"So, the ghost floating around the station was you," said TK. "How are you still here?"

"_I was unable to be reborn in the Digital World, which would have wiped out my existence forever," _the wizard explained. _"But, I had been learning the ancient teachings of existing within the Force up until I died. So, unlike many other Digimon that die outside the Digital World, I was able to live on through the Force." _

"_Thanks to my teaching," _a new, but familiar voice said.

A new Force ghost appeared beside Wizardmon, a small old man with white hair pulled back in a topknot at the back.

"Gennai," Izzy greeted with a bow.

Davis studied the ghost in front of him and snorted. "This is Gennai?" he exclaimed in disbelief before starting to laugh. "This little old man is the guy that taught you everything you knew?"

Gennai's eyes widened sharply with offense. With a wave of his hand, a small box nearby went flying at the boy and hit him square in the head.

"Ow! Geez! What was that for?"

"_Still have a lot to learn about respecting your elders, I see," _he bit.

"I'm still working on it, Gennai," Tai replied with a weak smile. "It's been tougher than I thought."

Gennai looked past him and moved on to Cody and Yolei, who were awestruck by the sight in front of them. He bowed graciously to them, and they reciprocated.

"_Now that we've been introduced, there is something we must tell you,_" he said.

"_Your great enemy has started to waver within the Force," _Wizardmon followed. _"It will not be long before he begins his final offensive against the Digital World. You are the only ones who can stop this. But be warned, there is a much greater evil behind his actions." _

The group's collective jaws hit the floor.

"Wait…so, we're not only dealing with Ken, but something else too?" Davis said.

"What is this 'greater evil' you speak of?" TK asked.

"_Its identity is unknown," _Gennai replied. _"I can't get a good read on it, for it hides in the shadows. The dark side clouds everything. For now, you must return the Digimon Emperor to what he used to be and help him fulfill his destiny." _

"Used to be?" said Matt. "You mean, he wasn't always a tyrannical, insane psycho maniac?"

Tai sensed there was something underneath that Gennai was trying to get across, but was having a hard time understanding what it was.

"Is there something you forgot to tell us before, Gennai?" he asked.

Gennai chuckled with a smile. _"You have come a long way, Tai," _he said. _"Unfortunately, yes. There was something I neglected to tell you all before I died." _

The old man took a breath before starting his story.

"_There were actually supposed to be nine of you when you were called to the Digital World all those years ago_," he explained. _"Of course, only seven of you came at first. Kari was at home with that cold of hers, and there was supposed to be one other but he never came." _

A gasp reverberated through the crowd of children.

"A ninth Jedi?" Joe breathed, unable to believe his ears.

"Then why did you tell us that the eighth Jedi was the most important one to find?" Matt shot, his anger rising with every word. "Slip your mind? You didn't think to tell us that there was one other kid we needed to find while we were here?"

"This does sound suspicious, Gennai," said Sora. "How come we were never told to find this ninth child too?"

"_Calm down, my friends," _Gennai said calmly. _"I know this is a bit of a shock to you, but there is a good reason for why I never told you. Not long after you all went back to your world to find Kari, another young human found his way to the Digital World. He was strong, powerful," _a short pause for a breath,_ "and arrogant." _

"How did you find that out?" Izzy asked.

"_I was so busy helping you all that Homeostasis sent a messenger to meet the boy when he came. This messenger, who happens to be a very good friend of mine, said that he saw only darkness in the boy's heart. There was so much fear in him that Homeostasis ordered the ninth Jedi to be abandoned and that eight was enough. It didn't want to take the risk of him betraying and killing you all." _Gennai then muttered, _"Though I don't see why because we had another opti-" _

Wizardmon cut him off. _"We leave you all with this: Your strength alone will not be enough to defeat this evil. The Digimon Emperor is only one front you must get by. Friendship and kindness will help erase the darkness." _

Matt scoffed. "Friendship and kindness will help erase the darkness?" he repeated. "What's that supposed to mean? Are we supposed to show that little prick kindness and friendship in order to stop him from killing us? After what he's done to Sora, Kari, Tai, Davis, Yolei, and Cody, I don't think he's worthy of it."

"_Those will not be enough, Matt," _Gennai said. _"Be mindful of your feelings. I know the Emperor has done horrible things to you all, but you cannot destroy darkness by becoming the darkness. You of all people should know that." _

The Jedi of Friendship nodded and bowed his head to the Force ghost.

"_Once the Digimon Emperor has been defeated, this new evil will have no choice but to reveal itself," _Wizardmon continued. _"That is all we can give you. Farewell, my friends. May the Force be with you." _

He and Gennai started to fade away from sight.

"Wizardmon, wait!" Kari cried, begging for him to not go.

"_Hurry!" _the wizard's voice echoed as he and Gennai now completely vanished.

The Jedi stayed where they were as they struggled to take in this overwhelming amount of information. The Digimon Emperor was not the only evil that had taken over the Digital World, and there was supposed to be another Jedi joining them before.

"Trust Gennai to always spring things on us at the worst times," Tai sarcastically rolled his eyes. "Why would he lie to us about this other Jedi?"

"I don't know," Izzy said. "But all will probably be revealed soon. In the meantime, we need to discuss a plan of action."

* * *

**What awaits the Destined Jedi in their future next? How will they go about facing the Digimon Emperor now? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**_Tadaima - "I'm back/home" _**

**_Okaeri nasai - "Welcome back" _**

**There were more than a few references to other media in this chapter. If you can name them all, I'll give you a shoutout in the next chapter. There should be a few obvious ones, but even some that were a little hidden. **

**As always, be sure to leave a review and subscribe because the group goes camping next time. **

**See you all real soon, and may the Force be with you. **


	20. Camping It Up

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: You'll see soon ;-) Amen. Thank you for your reviews. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Who knows what he's hiding. My instincts tell me he's been hiding a lot of things from them. **

**Music Chick: Yup, a lot to like about this last chapter. Thank you for being so loyal. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thank you for your always-generous reviews, my friend. You'll find out the answers to your questions over the next few chapters. In the meantime, yes those are quite a few of the references I was making. Though with deciding Matt's dad's girlfriend's name, it was just a random pick. Still missed a couple though. **

**Ratchet McCloud: Yup XD That was the obvious one. **

**Guest: I'm glad you like that. Yeah, he was a little too Mr. Perfect Goody Two-Shoes for my liking. You'll get your wish, you just have to be patient :-) **

**Brief shout-out to Salamandra the Beast King for the favorite and follow and to rockstarwm for the follow. You guys rock!**

**And thank you to all of you for getting me over 100 reviews already. This is the fastest I have ever gotten to over 100. Thank you all for your words of encouragement and feedback. **

* * *

**Welcome back, guys for yet another chapter. The response to last chapter was tremendous. I could not have asked for anything more. Now we are getting into the final part of the Emperor arc. That's right. The group is going camping! Before we begin, I want to advise you guys that the chapters will be a bit shorter in this final arc simply because there's going to be a lot of hard-hitting stuff and I don't want to overwhelm you guys with too much. **

**I'll get to who got the most references at the end. For now, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Where are you, you son of a bitch?"

Matt scanned the entire area for signs of the Emperor's presence. The vast plain looked like it was alive with the grass blowing in the gusty winds. He, TK, and Izzy were in charge of checking this section of the Digital World for any signs of the Emperor. The Jedi each took different sections, but no sightings had been reported thus far.

"Nothing," TK muttered.

"What do we do now?" Izzy asked.

Matt shrugged. "I guess there's no other choice but to go back," he replied. "That coward is hiding somewhere that we can't sense him." He then bit his lip. "We'll find him though. He won't pass up a chance to mess with us."

His two companions nodded.

"Not unless he finds us first," Izzy added.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

The three Jedi headed back towards the television they came out of just a quarter mile away. The wind thrashed their hair in all directions, and almost blew TK's hat off of his head.

Izzy pressed against his earpiece to communicate with the others.

"The plains are clear," he said. "No sign of the Emperor. Over."

Tai's voice entered his ear. "_Jungle's clear. We're heading home. Over." _

"_Roger,_" Sora replied. _"We've got nothing at the beaches either. Over." _

Izzy clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Alright, let's go home," he said. "I don't think we're going to find him today."

"_We've only been doing this for the past three days," _Davis said over the radio with dripping sarcasm. _"Maybe we're just not looking hard enough." _

"_Davis, that's enough," _Tai chastised.

Izzy heard where this was going and quickly muted the radio traffic in his ear. He and the blonde brothers soon reached their destination. TK raised his hand and opened the gate with the Force. The three of them vanished back to the real world in the blink of an eye.

* * *

"_Alright, let's go home. I don't think we're going to find him today." _

Joe nodded and looked down at Cody, who was struggling to climb up the rocks. The Jedi of Reliability stayed put and waited for the boy to catch up with him. Just as he was about to, Cody's hand slipped on a rock and started to fall. Joe quickly caught his hand.

"You okay?" he asked.

Cody nodded, his small body shuttering with adrenaline from the brief fall. "Yeah. Thanks, Joe."

"That's why I'm here," Joe smiled. "Izzy gave the order for us all to head back. We'll take one last look up this hill, and then head back if we don't find anything."

"Okay."

Joe pulled the boy up so he could wrap his arms around his neck and then resumed climbing. It took three minutes for them to reach the top. They stopped for a moment to catch their breath before looking over the other side of the hill. What they saw shocked them.

Down in the valley below, a large, pointed rocky structure that reminded the boys of Pride Rock sat nestled in the soil. A large crater surrounded it, looking almost like a moat. For some reason, Cody thought the structure was vaguely familiar somehow.

"What is that?" Joe asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't know," Cody replied. He pulled some binoculars out of the folds of his yukata. "Let me take a closer look."

Bringing the device up to his eyes, Cody zoomed in on the rock. Now that he saw it a bit closer, his hunch had been correct. There was machinery and a large mechanized dome in the middle of the structure, proving this was no ordinary rock. From behind the binoculars, Cody's eyes widened in disbelief.

"We've found it," he breathed.

"What?" Joe asked.

"Joe, I think we've found the Emperor's base," Cody elaborated, excitement filling him. "Hurry, take some pictures so we can use them later. Do you have your camera with you?"

Joe pulled his camera out, flashing a sly grin at the boy.

"Way ahead of you, partner," he said with a wink.

Joe took several photographs from different angles. Once he felt like he had enough, he put the camera back in the folds of his yukata and they started their way back down the hill.

* * *

The Destined Jedi sat around Izzy's room waiting for Joe and Cody to get back. Outside, the sun shined brightly into the bedroom even with the blinds closed. It was one of those days that was too good to be spent indoors, even with the scorching hot temperatures of August bearing down on Tokyo.

A flash of light came from the computer and Joe and Cody emerged from the gate.

"Did you guys find anything?" Tai asked.

"Oh man, you are not going to believe this!" Cody replied with excitement. "We just found the Emperor's base."

A gasp went through the room at the good news.

"Where was it?" TK asked.

"Did you guys get photos of it?" Davis added.

"Yeah, right here," Joe took his camera from his pocket and started showing pictures to Izzy. The Jedi of Knowledge's eyes brightened with every photograph that he saw. This was more than he could have hoped for.

"Good work, guys," he said, taking Joe's camera and hooking it up to his computer. He dragged the photos from the file and stuck them in a folder of his own. "Now that we have some reconnaissance, we can start building a plan of how to infiltrate it."

"The last time we got in was a complete accident though," said Davis. "How are we going to get inside this time?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out, Davis," Matt replied. "Things like this take time. So now that we know where the base is, what's our plan going forward? We might not get this good of a chance again."

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking," Izzy said irritably, still typing away on his computer.

Kari stood up from Izzy's bed. "We have no choice but to destroy it," she said. "If we can do that, then the Emperor won't be able to escape us when we go to capture him."

Tai nodded. "Good thinking, Kari," he said with a proud smile. "That's what we'll do. In order to do that, though, it probably will take some time more than just one day."

"That's right," TK agreed. "Ken's not going to go down without a fight, so it's going to take longer than a day to defeat him. Let's promise that we won't come back until he is defeated, whether we capture or kill him. Are you guys with me?"

Cody's eyes gazed down at the floor nervously, and Yolei had a conflicted look on her face. Davis was a bit more open about it, but even he had some reservations about going away without telling his parents where he was going. All of them felt that way.

"Guys?" TK's voice snapped them out of their thoughts.

"I understand what you're asking of us, but I'm not sure if we can go through with it," Cody answered. "If I'm gone for a few days without telling my family, they'll think something bad happened."

"Is there no other way we can do this?" Yolei asked, her eyes pleading for him to say there was. "There has to be another way."

Matt growled in frustration at all their whining. "What part of 'it's not going to be easy' do you not understand?" he stormed. "When all of us older kids were sent to the Digital World, we did not have the luxury of coming back home at the end of every day! We had to struggle to survive and make it to the next day!"

"But there must be –" Yolei said in a weak voice.

"You're acting like a bunch of spoiled brats! There's no time to discuss this in a committee!"

"Matt, stop," Sora intervened.

Matt turned his fury on her. "Don't tell me to stop, Sora! We've been coddling them for too long! They need to learn what it really was like for us during our time there!"

Tai needed to think fast before things got worse. What was a plausible excuse the younger kids could give to their families that they would buy? They only had a month left for summer vacation.

'_That's it!' _he thought. Summer, nice weather, needing a valid excuse for being gone a couple of days. Camping! That was what they would do.

"I've got an idea," he said, silencing Matt and Sora from their argument. "Let's go camping."

Matt glared at him. "Tai, let's be serious for a moment. Now's not the time to think about camping."

"No, hear me out."

Everyone gave Tai their full attention as he explained his plan.

"Since it's still summer, the only thing that our parents would buy as an excuse for us being gone for a few days is a camping trip. You younger kids will go to the Digital World and get scouting on the Emperor's base. Meanwhile, us older kids will go to the campsite because if our parents call and we're not there, we'll get in trouble. Once we get there and are settled in, we'll meet you guys at the designated rendezvous point and begin our assault."

Izzy nodded with a wide smile. "That's not a bad idea," he said. "Good thinking, Tai. What would we do without you?"

Tai chuckled. "You guys already know the answer to that question."

Matt calmed down, taking a deep breath before nodding his head. "That's a good plan. Let's do it."

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Come in," Izzy said.

Mrs. Izumi opened the door and greeted everyone with a warm smile.

"Oh, you're back," she said.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Mrs. Izumi," everyone chorused.

The woman's smile widened a bit. "Hi there, kids," she greeted. "What are you all doing inside on such a nice day like this?"

Izzy sweatdropped. "Uh, heh heh," he chuckled nervously. "We were actually just discussing the possibility of going camping for a couple of days."

"That sounds like fun, but you're going to need a chaperone with you kids. Who's it going to be?"

Matt quickly spoke up.

"Oh, don't worry, Mrs. Izumi. My dad will be happy to do it. He loves going camping," he said. That was a lie. His dad hardly left home when he got back from work, and he _hated _camping.

Tai leaned in to whisper to him, "You sure about that?"

"No, but it sounded good," Matt whispered back.

Mrs. Izumi glanced their way, but didn't say anything.

"Okay," she said. "But how will all eleven of you fit in one car? If that's the case, you should probably ask someone else to go too."

"We will," the kids replied.

"Have fun, kids."

"Thanks, Mom," Izzy replied as his mother finally closed the door and left. "Any ideas on who else might be willing to go?"

That gave TK an idea. If Matt was going to ask their father, maybe they should try and have some fun with him. A smirk slowly worked up his face.

Matt noticed.

"Whatcha got, TK?" he asked.

"How's about I ask Mom to go too?" replied the younger blonde.

Matt frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea, TK. You know how they are when they're together."

"Oh, come on, Matt! That was years ago. Plus, Mom's been working pretty hard lately too. She deserves a break." The smirk was wider this time. "Also, it would give us a chance to mess with Dad a little. We haven't pulled a prank like this in years."

That only concerned Matt more. This was not sounding like a good idea the more he heard about it. But TK did have a point: Their dad did need a little excitement in his life. Maybe this would be good for him.

He sighed. "Alright. Fine. But you get Mom to come."

"Don't worry. You just work on Dad."

* * *

"Forget it."

Matt winced. He should have known this would be the reaction from his father. The two of them sat outside of the Tully's Coffee that was attached to the television station, sipping on cups of coffee.

"Aw, come on, Dad. I already told everyone you'd be going with us," he whined. "They've been looking forward to going. You don't want to let us down, do you?"

"I'm sorry, Matt, but I have so much work to do," his father replied, taking a sip of coffee. "You know I don't like camping."

Matt did not want to go there, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "But it's a chance to get away, like you've been wanting lately," he said. "I'll even let you bring Rumiko along. You guys can have that vacation together after all, and TK can finally meet her as well."

The man's face turned slightly pink and looked away from his son. He had to hand it to Matt. He was growing more and more like him every day.

"Y-You sure Rumiko can come?" he asked. "It's not going to be weird?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah. It's just cover for us so that our plan can work. You guys will be the ones actually camping while we're taking care of business in the Digital World. Take some time to get to know each other better. Just no funny business while we're away."

"Shut up!" Mr. Ishida squeaked, his face reddening even more at the thought of such a thing. "We've only known each other two months."

"When did you and Mom first started _'exploring' _each other?"

"Not until you're older!"

Matt snickered mischievously.

Mr. Ishida sighed and slapped a hand to his tired face. He ruffled his short brown hair as he thought about Matt's proposal. He _had _been wanting to take some time off. He built up enough paid time off that he could do it now and still have more than enough left over. Plus, the chance to introduce Rumiko to TK was something he couldn't pass up.

"Okay, I'll do it," he sighed.

Matt beamed. "Thanks, Dad. You won't regret this."

'_Hope you're not too mad at me for what I didn't tell you.'_

* * *

Davis zipped up his duffel bag and double-checked everything to make sure he wasn't leaving anything out. He stuffed his backpack with some of his manga and IPod. If he was going to be gone a few days, he would need something to keep him grounded whenever they had downtime.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Yeah, what is it?" he replied.

Jun entered the room with a tray of sweets and a glass of orange soda in her grasp. She took one look and saw all the camping gear littered around her brother's room. The little schemer was up to something.

"What are you doing?" she asked, placing the tray behind her brother.

Davis turned and gave her the evil eye. "None of your business!" he growled.

"Looks like you're packing for a camping trip," Jun continued with a knowing smirk.

"No, I'm not. Just airing everything out."

"Are TK and the others going?"

"Why does it matter?"

"So, is Matt going too?"

Davis clenched his fist, wanting to smack his sister right in her big mouth so badly. But he kept himself in check for now. Jun was not worth wasting energy on.

"Get out of here, Jun! I mean it!" he hissed.

Jun's smirk grew wider until she almost looked like the Cheshire Cat. "So if you're going, the others are going, and _Matt's _going, can I come too?"

Davis slapped his hands on the floor and finally stood up. Jun stepped back two steps to get away from her agitated brother.

"Go. Away. NOW!" he shoved her out the doorway, coming dangerously close to letting the Force drip into the shove. The siblings' mother was sitting on the couch watching television and didn't seem to notice what was going on.

"Davis, what the hell?" his sister protested. They both were about to get into it when a newsflash appeared on the television.

"_It has been almost three months since boy genius Ken Ichijouji disappeared, and there still has been no sign of him," _the news anchor said. "_The boy's parents recorded this message for their son." _

"Wow, that kid's still missing?" Jun said.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji appeared on the screen, sitting on their couch at home. Mrs. Ichijouji had tears in her eyes and was using a tissue to try and keep herself calm. Her husband was much more calm and stoic, but he looked on the verge of crying himself.

"_We hope our son is watching this right now_," said Mr. Ichijouji, his lower lip trembling. "_Ken, wherever you are, please come home. We miss you. We don't know why you ran away, but we promise that we'll do everything we can to help you." _

Mrs. Ichijouji burst into inconsolable sobs as she began her speech.

"_Ken, please come home!" _she sobbed into the tissue. _"Please just come home. We don't want anything else. Your father and I just want to have you home safe and sound with us. That's all we care about. Wherever you are, please just come home." _

Her sobs overtook her, preventing her from speaking further. Her husband pulled her tightly to his chest.

* * *

The television switched off. That was all TK could take before it became too much.

"If only they knew," he muttered. He could not understand why Ken would be so cruel as to mentally torture his parents. They looked nice enough, and at least Ken still had his family in one piece.

The door opened and closed.

"TK, I'm home!" his mother's voice filled the halls.

"Hi, Mom," he replied.

Nancy came into the room and planted her briefcase down on the kitchen table before going into the kitchen and putting groceries on the counter. TK stepped over into the kitchen to give her a hand.

"How was your day, Mom?" he asked, putting eggs in the fridge.

"Long," his mother replied. "Still no trace of where Ken Ichijouji could have gone. We've interviewed some sources who claim to have seen him, but they were less-than-reliable."

"Aw, man," TK walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I almost forgot. I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"The gang and I are going on a camping trip for a few days, and we need a chaperone to be with us. I was wondering if maybe you'd be interested in being ours."

Nancy pried her son's arms from around her waist and put rice in the rice cooker for dinner.

"I'd love to, TK, but I have work to do," she said apologetically. "I can't take time off now, especially since the Ken Ichijouji story hasn't been solved yet."

"But you've been working so hard lately, Mom," TK argued. "Taking a little break to spend some time with me is something you haven't done in a while. Matt's coming too."

Nancy stopped what she was doing. The mention of her oldest son unlocked something within her. She and Matt were on better speaking terms now, but their relationship was still a work-in-progress. If they could spend some time together, maybe things would get a little better.

The woman sighed. "Have you asked your father or any of the other parents?"

"You know Dad. He's always busy." TK thinned his lips, slightly conflicted about lying to her. "He couldn't come, so I said I'd ask you. Everyone else's parents are too busy as well."

Nancy tightened her grip on the hand towel in deep thought. After a few seconds, she relented with a nod.

"Okay, I'll come," she said. "I suppose taking a couple of days off wouldn't hurt."

TK beamed with a wide smile. "Awesome! Thanks, Mom," he cried, giving her a big hug. "You're the best ever."

Nancy chuckled. "I appreciate that, TK. Dinner will be ready in a little bit."

* * *

Yolei felt her mind slow down as she quietly meditated in the darkness of her room. It took a while after the incident with Ken for her to feel comfortable sleeping without the lights on, but now she loved the darkness again. Slow, deep breaths went through her nose and out her mouth.

It was a little past midnight, but Yolei was unable to sleep because their plan weighed heavily on her mind. She still was not entirely comfortable with the idea of not coming home after a day in the Digital World. Even with the cover of a camping trip, it still didn't sit right with her.

"_Let's promise that we won't come back until he is defeated, whether we capture or kill him." _

Then she heard Matt barking at her in her head.

"_What part of 'it's not going to be easy' do you not understand? You're acting like a bunch of spoiled brats! There's no time to discuss this in a committee! The fate of the Digital World is in your hands." _

Yolei winced, feeling like the Jedi of Friendship was yelling straight into her ear. Funny, she didn't remember him saying that last part, but he might as well have. Even though she was slightly reserved about the whole thing, she couldn't think of any better ideas. As much as she didn't want to, she was just going to have to suck it up and go along with the plan.

Ever since Ken kidnapped her, Yolei was trying really hard to be a team player. Some days were easier than others, but she was certain that she was making good progress. Her and Sora had also gotten a lot closer in that time too.

With her mind made up, she nodded, opened her eyes, and stood up to head back to her bed. She was going to do her part to help end Ken's reign of terror on the Digital World.

The last thing on her mind as she laid her head down on her pillow was, '_Go, Yolei! Go, Yolei! Go!'_

* * *

"Let's give that cute jerk a little what-for!" Yolei cried, so hopped up on adrenaline that she didn't know what else to do other than let it all out. Punches and karate kicks went flying around the room.

"HYAAAH!"

_SMACK!_

"Ow!"

Yolei came down from her adrenaline high and saw Izzy lying on the floor with his hand pressed against his jaw.

"Oh, Izzy. I'm so sorry," she cringed, smiling apologetically.

"Hey, Jackie Chan, watch the fists of fury, will ya?" Izzy chuckled as she helped pull him up.

The Jedi were all gathered at their hideout. The plan was for the younger Jedi to go to the Digital World and then the older kids would head back to Matt's apartment and wait for his father to come home and take them. TK said his mom would be there around the same time. Everything was ready.

"Alright, troops, fall in line!" Yolei said like a general as the younger kids marched behind her towards the computer room.

Tai looked at Sora, who laughed. Yolei was taking this way too seriously.

"Sir, yes, sir!" TK added with humor.

Matt couldn't help but snicker. "You've got a lot to learn about women, TK," he jabbed.

Kari giggled, which made the younger blonde turn red in embarrassment. Izzy filled them in on what their objective was.

"Okay, so we'll send you guys to the spot where Joe and Cody found the base. Keep close tabs on it, and if something happens, let us know. We'll meet up there as soon as we get settled into the campsite. Good luck."

Yolei couldn't wait one second longer.

"Alright, let's go!" she exclaimed, shoving her hand forward. The digital gate reacted with the tattoo on her wrist and the younger kids were whisked off to the Digital World.

* * *

"You guys ready?" Mr. Ishida asked as he stepped out of the van. He wore a light blue button-up shirt with a black vest over it and cargo pants.

"You bet!" everyone replied with excitement.

"Alright, let's start getting loaded up."

Everyone helped out with putting the gear in the car. Mr. Ishida put down the extra row of seats to make room for everything, which also meant there was less room for people.

"Hiro!"

Everyone turned at the sound of the call and saw a woman with black hair that was cut similar to Sora's coming towards them. Her cute face and bright, brown eyes beamed when she set sights on Matt's father. She carried a duffel bag with her.

Mr. Ishida turned slightly pink when he saw her.

"Hi, Rumiko," he greeted, as bashful as a crushing schoolboy.

Matt snickered. "Already giving you a pet name, huh?" he teased.

"None of your business!" his father shot. "Everyone, this is Rumiko. She's a friend that will be joining us, if that's okay with all of you."

"Hello, everyone," the woman greeted with a wave, which the Jedi all copied. Matt struggled to contain his giggles. "I promise I will not get in your way. We're all going to have such a great time. Right, Hiro?"

Mr. Ishida's blush darkened. "Y-Yeah," he said and took her bag. "I'll take that for ya."

"Hello, Hiroaki."

The man snapped around and let out a frightened squeal. Nancy stood a few feet away with her arms folded across her chest. Her car sat in the parking space right behind his.

"N-Nancy," he squeaked. "W-What are you doing here?"

"TK asked me if I would chaperone him and the others on their camping trip," the woman replied simply. "He told me that you were too busy to go. What's going on?"

Mr. Ishida turned back to glare at Matt for a moment. The blonde teenager grinned innocently. The man then tried to think of an explanation, but his words failed him every time. Nothing came to his head. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Hiro, who's she?" Rumiko asked, appearing by his side.

"I could say the same about you," Nancy returned, eyeing the woman suspiciously.

'_Just perfect!' _the man thought, wishing a car would just come by and hit him now. He wanted to cry, but kept himself stable. He cleared his throat.

"Nancy, this is Rumiko," he introduced. "She's a friend of mine." Then he turned to the other woman. "Rumiko, this is Nancy, my ex-wife."

The younger woman bowed respectfully. "Oh, I see. A pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"Hello," Nancy replied with a slight nod of her head. She then sighed and looked at her ex-husband. "We'll talk about this later. Let's just go." Looking around, she noticed her youngest son was missing. "Where is TK?"

"I'll explain everything once we get to the campgrounds, Mom," Matt injected himself into the conversation. "Can I talk to you real quick?"

Nancy saw the way her son moved his eyes to the side. He wanted to talk without the threat of the other woman discovering their secret.

"Okay," she said with a nod.

They walked down to the corner away from everyone else.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"All you need to know is that we're just camping to have an alibi while the rest of us take care of Digital World business."

"So, it's that kind of thing, huh?" his mother replied. "No wonder TK has been so secretive lately. I guess I can understand that."

"Yeah. He didn't want to scare you. Like I said, I'll tell you everything when we get there."

"Okay."

The two of them went back to the group, who were busy packing that they didn't notice their return.

Nancy's gaze then went to Mimi and Sora. "Girls," she said, "why don't you come with me? That way we can make it a girls car."

"Yay!" Mimi cried as she and Sora went over to pack up their things and get in. "Girl power!"

"Thanks, Ms. Takaishi," Sora bowed in thanks. "See you guys at the camp grounds."

"You know where to go, right?" Mr. Ishida asked before Nancy could get in the car.

She nodded. "Yes."

"Alright, we'll be right behind you."

The woman got in the car and the three females drove off down the road. The guys finished putting everything in the van and got in. Things were a little cramped with Tai, Izzy, Joe, and Matt all having to sit in the second row of seats, but it was nothing they could not manage.

"Hi there, Matt! I'm ready."

The blonde-haired boy's face went pale. Looking out the front windshield, he saw the owner of the annoying voice. Jun stood right outside the car, a backpack and other gear piled up in her arms.

He slapped a hand to his face. "Oh, great," he groaned.

Tai studied the girl curiously. "Isn't that Davis' sister?" he wondered. "What's she doing here?"

"I don't know," Matt whimpered.

"Well, get rid of her. We can't risk blowing our cover."

"I know! I know!"

Matt got out of the car to confront her and see what was up. Inside, Joe eyed the girl with curiosity. She was honestly kind of cute, if he had to give a fair assessment.

"Davis has a sister?" he asked Tai and Izzy. "What's she like?"

"All you need to know, Joe, is that she's a psycho with a capital 'PSYCHO'," Tai replied. "She's almost caught us more times than we can count. She also has the hots for Matt."

Joe shrugged and went back to reading his book. Tai saw the cover and instantly groaned.

"Are you going to be studying this whole time?" he said.

"No!" Joe replied defensively, then weakly added, "Just on the way. I have one more term left in my middle school career before entrance exams. I have to be ready!"

"You're gonna be fine, Joe," Izzy replied. "There's no need to panic." He looked out the window. "Besides, Matt looks like he's about to push the panic button himself."

All three boys giggled.

"Hey, Jun," Matt rubbed the back of his neck nervously, forcing a smile despite his wish to run and hide. "What's up?"

"I thought this camping trip would be a perfect romantic getaway for us," Jun replied happily. She looked through the window and saw only Tai, Izzy, and another boy she didn't recognize. "Hey, where's Davis and the others?"

"You just missed them. They went ahead of us in another car," Matt replied. "My mom drove off with them a moment ago."

Jun made a bold move and wrapped one arm around his shoulders. A shiver went down Matt's spine at the unexpected contact. Her arm snaked down his back before going down south to squeeze his butt.

Matt squeaked and glared at her. Jun giggled mischievously. This was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. He needed to lose her now.

"Hey, I've got something for ya," he said.

Jun gasped, her face turning bright red. This was so unexpected.

"For me?" she squeaked.

"Y-Yeah, but it's in the car. I didn't get a chance to wrap it, so close your eyes and count to ten. I'll be right back with it."

Jun did as commanded and started counting. Once she covered her eyes, Matt made a break for it and went straight for the door. Tai and Izzy exploded into uncontrolled fits of laughter.

"I'm gonna kill you guys!" he roared. "Get out of here, Dad! Step on it!"

Mr. Ishida was caught off guard by the command. "You want me just to leave her here?" he asked.

"Yeah! Now, step on it!"

The man rolled his eyes and moaned before putting the car in drive. "You've got a lot to learn about women, Matt," he said as they rolled away silently so Jun couldn't hear them.

"Now where have I heard that one before?"

"Is this normal?" Rumiko asked.

"You have no idea," Mr. Ishida replied.

"Nine! TEN!" Jun cried, releasing her hands from her face. When she looked up, Matt was nowhere to be found. The car that was there a second ago had disappeared too. Looking down the street, she saw it. "Matt! Wait! Where's my present?"

Matt looked back and saw her disappear the further they got. He sighed and pulled out a CD from his bag, The Beastie Boys' _License to Ill. _

"A little music, gentlemen," he said, then turned to Rumiko, "and lady?"

"Go for it," his father shrugged, putting the CD into the disc player.

The beats of the first track exploded inside the car. Matt, Tai, and Izzy got into it right away, pounding on the seats in front of them and throwing their heads forward. Joe tried to concentrate on the book, but was finding it hard.

'_I can't believe I have to endure four hours of this,' _he moaned. _'Hopefully the younger kids find the Emperor's base quickly so we can end this now.'_

* * *

**What awaits the group as they begin their final assault on the Digimon Emperor? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Poor Joe XD **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint got the most references. There was one glaring one that I'm surprised you guys did not catch. The part with the lightning striking the building and Davis saying he hoped no one was on an elevator was a reference to the Tower of Terror at Disney World, formerly at Disneyland. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and are anxiously looking forward to what is coming. Leave a review and subscribe to the story if you have not already because you do not want to miss what happens next. **

**See you all next weekend. I am almost done with the next chapter, but I hold back to stay on schedule. I finished this chapter in two days XD **


	21. Sincere Advice

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes they are :)**

**Music Chick: Yup XD Poor guy. Having to deal with your ex-wife and new girlfriend at the same time by yourself must be a horrible experience. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: You'll just have to keep reading to see what happens ;-) **

**Ratchet McCloud: Nice eye, Ratchet. Thank you. **

**Thanks to BlackSkull Universe for the favorite and follow. Much appreciated.**

* * *

**Here we are, everybody. Welcome back to another chapter. Hope you all had a good week. I know I certainly did. Let's get right to it. Like I said last chapter, I'm splitting up some of the events into their own chapters so that way I'm not overwhelming you guys with too much. Once we get past the Emperor arc, we'll go back to long chapters. **

**Let's get this thing started.**

* * *

The mid-day sun beat heavily down on the children as they climbed the façade of the mountain. The rocks got hotter as they reached up for the next level, burning their hands with ever ascent. They had been climbing for almost an hour, and still had a long way to go to the top.

"Are you sure this is it, Cody?" Kari asked the youngest Jedi. She had stopped climbing to take a breath.

"Positive," the boy replied. "It's just up over this hill."

Once they reached the top, the Jedi felt like their hands were blistered to the bone. With the added weight of their bags, it took half a day for them to reach the mountain that Cody had climbed with Joe the day before.

The Jedi scanned the valley for any trace of the monstrosity that Cody described to them. It was wide and vast, with forests to the far left and treacherous canyons in the distance to the right. But there was no sign of the rock-like structure.

"I don't see anything," Davis said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Are you absolutely sure this is the right place?"

"What are you talking about? Of course it's the right place," Cody snapped back before he saw what the others did. A large crater sat where he remembered the rock being. "Where is it? It was here before. Joe and I saw it with our own eyes."

"Maybe it was your mind playing tricks on you, Cody," Davis replied with a shrug. "Or it could have been a mirage."

"I swear, I am not making this up! We got photographic evidence that it was here."

The burgundy-haired Jedi pressed his forehead against the young boy's. "Do you have them on you by any chance?" he hissed.

"What's it to you?" Cody snarled back, pressing his forehead against the older boy's.

TK ignored them and looked around. He quickly noticed that something was missing. Or some_one_.

"Where's Yolei?" he asked, seeing that the other member of their group was nowhere to be found.

Kari pointed down the cliff. "Look right down here," she said.

The other three Jedi joined her and looked down at where she was pointing. A cloud of dust flew behind Yolei as she skidded down the rocky façade, her green lightsaber out and itching for some action. Her impatient battle scream filled the air.

Davis sighed with exasperation. "Always on the move."

"Let's go," said TK, hurdling over the rocks to slide down the mountain.

Kari joined him a second later. Davis and Cody looked at each other for a second, shrugged, and then followed their teammates down. If there were snow on these mountains, it would have been more fun to slide down. Instead, they just tried to not get their feet cut, stub their toes, or get them crushed by jagged rocks.

Once they all reached the bottom, the Jedi went over to the large crater to inspect it. The hole was about a half mile wide and a mile deep. There were no boulders in the world that could make a hole this big, even in the Digital World.

"What do you think could have made this?" TK blinked. "I've never seen anything this big."

"I'm telling you, this is where the base was," Cody insisted. "I think Ken must have seen Joe and I when we were up there and knew we would eventually come. So, he ran off with it like the coward he is."

Davis blinked in confusion. "Ran off with it?" he asked. "How? I don't understand how a whole building could just go off on its own like that."

Yolei emphatically raised a finger towards the far-off mountains. "I know what happened!" she proclaimed. "It took off into the sky!"

That only gave her more confused looks from the other Jedi.

"Into the sky," Davis repeated slowly. Somehow, that sounded a little far-fetched. "Riiiiight."

"I don't see how that makes sense," Cody agreed. "The technology isn't there in real life like it is in science fiction."

TK, however, thought differently after inspecting the size of the crater some more. Yolei's idea of it going into the sky was not as crazy as it seemed after all.

"Hold on. Any of you guys seen _'Castle in the Sky_'?" he asked.

The other kids nodded.

"Yeah, of course," Davis said. "What kid in Japan hasn't?"

"Well, my theory is that Ken must have enjoyed the film so much that he modeled his ship after Laputa, the floating island. With that in mind, he could take his base anywhere he wanted if he felt threatened in a certain area."

Kari nodded. "And then he could go all over the Digital World like the Death Star in the Star Wars movies to keep certain areas afraid."

Davis interjected. "So if we can get inside of the base and blow it up from within, that would disable it and keep Ken stationary."

"Which would allow us the opportunity to capture him and end this once and for all," Cody finished.

"That's great, but what are we going to do now?" Yolei asked. "We can't just let this slide without acting. Let's go down into the crater and see if we can find something to use against him."

Davis glared at the girl. "Who went and made you the leader, four eyes?" he bit. "I think we should wait for Tai and the others to get here. Strength in numbers."

Yolei's honey brown eyes shot imaginary flames at him. "You're not the leader either, Davis!" she shot back. "So why should I take orders from you?"

"When will you learn to settle that endless energy of yours?"

TK interrupted them before things could escalate further. "Actually, Davis does make a good point," he said. "With all of us here, we could use our superior numbers to find the missing base."

Kari shrugged. "Then I guess there's nothing to do but wait."

Yolei puffed out her cheeks and plopped herself down on a rock, begrudgingly accepting the decision.

"They better get here fast," she muttered.

* * *

The smell of pine trees, along with the sweetness of mountain air, filled the world around as the mid-afternoon sun settled just above the peak of Mt. Fuji. A slight bit of cloud coverage obscured the peak itself from view, but the rest of the mountain could be made out clearly.

Lake Yamanaka was a popular place for city people to go to get away from the drags of daily life in the city and get back to nature. The lake itself was right in the middle of the village of Yamanakako. There were just barely above 5,000 people that permanently lived in this quaint, small lake town, but it was always buzzing with activity during the summer months.

The Destined Jedi and their three adult chaperones piled the gear out of Mr. Ishida's van and started to make their home for the next couple of days. They would be staying around a cabin that was just a few yards away from a small pond. The view out from the campsite gave a great view of the lake and Mt. Fuji. The kids were jealous that they wouldn't get to see much of it after they left for the Digital World.

"Four hours of the Beastie Boys, are you kidding me?" Joe complained.

His ears were ringing after enduring _Fight For Your Right _for the last thirty minutes. He could not concentrate on anything because Tai, Matt, and Izzy were singing as loud as the song. They even danced along to it. When one of them would throw themselves to the left side, it would send the others right into him.

Mimi noticed the oldest Destined Jedi's exhausted eyes. "Everything okay there, Joe?" she asked.

"No, I am not okay," he replied. "When we go back, I'm riding with you and Sora. I'm sure it'll be much quieter."

Mimi giggled. "Okay, whatever you say," she said before going to help Sora with unloading coolers and their backpacks.

Within an hour, all of the gear had been unloaded and camp was being made. The first thing they needed was firewood. Ms. Takaishi and Rumiko volunteered to go into the woods to find some, leaving Mr. Ishida to watch the kids.

"Do you guys really have to go?" he asked, almost begging for them to change their minds. "I don't want to be left alone like this."

"Oh, come on, Dad," Matt slapped him on the back. "Someone needs to stay behind and cover for us. Besides, Mom and Rumiko will keep you company."

"That's what scares me the most," the man grumbled, a defeated look in his eyes. "Don't leave me here with two women I'm not sure will get along."

"You can handle it. Who knows, maybe they're getting along right now," Matt assured him with one more pat on the back. "How's that portal coming, Izzy? Are we ready to go?"

"I'm almost there," Izzy replied as he typed away on his computer. "I just need to type in the coordinates of their location. That'll take a minute."

While Izzy got the portal ready, everyone else made final preparations before heading to the Digital World. They were not coming back until Ken was completely neutralized, or if any of them died. The last part made them all think deeply. There was a good possibility that if things didn't work out, Ken would not hesitate to kill them. But the Jedi knew that it was worth the risk. Facing the Dark Masters was a giant risk, but it worked out fine in the end.

"Okay, the portal's ready," Izzy said. He pressed the talk button on his earpiece. "TK, we're ready."

"_Roger," _TK replied.

A moment later, a purple vortex of energy appeared on the shore at the edge of the water. Matt looked back at his father.

"Well, guys, good luck," Mr. Ishida said. "Be careful. I don't want to have to tell your parents something happened to one of you."

Tai nodded confidently. "Don't worry about it, Mr. Ishida. We'll be careful," he said before walking into the portal.

Joe, Izzy, and Sora followed, then Mimi.

"We're back!" Rumiko's voice emerged from the forest.

Matt and his father started to panic.

"Oh, crap! That's them," Mr. Ishida hyperventilated, struggling to figure out what to do next. "What do I do, Matt?"

The blonde-haired boy shrugged. "I don't know, just tell her that we went out," he replied, sticking one foot into the portal.

"Where?"

"ANYWHERE!" Matt shouted before he entered the portal completely. "But tell Mom the truth."

The void of energy disappeared just as Nancy and Rumiko came over the hill towards the shore. They carried whole bundles of firewood in their arms before setting it down near the fire pit.

Nancy was the first to notice something was missing.

"Hiroaki, where are the kids?" she asked.

The man darted his eyes from his ex-wife to his girlfriend and then back again. He couldn't tell Nancy out in the open where they had really gone without outing their secret to the other woman. He gave his ex-wife a look telling her to go along with what he was about to say.

"Oh, they went off into the woods to play," he replied. "I told them it was alright since we were done unloading."

"Do you know when they'll be back?" Rumiko asked.

A sweat drop went down Mr. Ishida's forehead. "Hopefully by sundown. You know how kids are," he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He quickly changed the subject. "How about we get some fishing in, ladies?"

Nancy snorted. "And what do you know about fishing?" she teasingly replied.

"I know enough!"

"The first time you took me fishing, I had to walk you through everything, even right down to what bait was. Needless to say, we never did that again."

"Nancy!" Mr. Ishida blushed hard with embarrassment. "Not in front of Rumiko."

The younger woman tried to stifle her giggles unsuccessfully. "Please, tell me more, Ms. Takaishi."

Nancy snickered as well. "I like this woman, Hiroaki," she smiled. "She definitely completes you."

'_Great,' _ the man moped as the two giggling women went to grab the fishing poles. Their giggles continued, no doubt making fun of him even more. _'Why does this stuff keep happening to me?'_

* * *

"Man, that is huge!" Tai breathed, his eyes widening as he gazed down into the crater. He and the older Jedi were quickly briefed upon arrival that the Emperor's base was gone and there was a possibility that it had floating capabilities.

Davis snickered. "That's what she said," he joked.

Yolei rolled her eyes with a disgusted groan. Boys could be so immature.

Izzy inspected the crater closely. If the images Joe and Cody took the day before were reliable, this had to be the spot where the Emperor's base was. With the new knowledge of what he was seeing now, it was easy to discern what had happened.

"I think you guys may be right," he said. "Ken must have known we were coming, so he fled the scene before we got here. I must say though, he certainly lives up to his reputation as a genius. The engineering that went into that base must have been extensive and far advanced for someone his age."

Matt glared at him. "Izzy, this is no time to be impressed. What do we do next? He could be on the other side of the Digital World in that thing by now."

"Hang on, hang on." Izzy pulled the photographs he got from Joe's camera out of his bag. "Joe, Cody, come over here with me."

The two nodded and went over to a flat rock not far from the crater. Izzy sat down between them and started inspecting the photographs. The other Jedi caught some murmurs, but it was mostly technical talk none of them understood.

While the three of them were at work, Sora looked around and noticed a certain someone was missing.

"Where's Yolei?" she asked. "Yolei?"

Davis slapped a hand to his face. "Oh no, not again."

"Hey, guys!"

The voice came from within the crater. The group went to the edge and saw a stake was stuck in the ground, with rope going all the way down to the bottom.

"Down here!" Yolei cried. Her hands were cupped around her mouth to amplify the sound of her voice.

"Yolei, what are you doing down there?" Sora yelled down. "Come back right now!"

Yolei frowned. "Maybe Ken left something behind we can use," she called back. "There's no harm in at least checking it out."

"That's an order, Yolei! Get back here!"

"You're not my mom, Sora! I'm tired of being a fourth wheel on this team. It's time I did something that actually helped us for a change!"

Yolei stormed off across the crater before anyone else could say anything. But before she could get too far, a rumbling went through the crater. Not too far away from her position, the ground split apart. What came out frightened Yolei so much that she let out a loud, horrified scream.

A large spider, about the size of a wooly mammoth, darted right for the girl as its eight eyes locked on to their target. Its eight legs were sharp as knives, with its mouth open to reveal equally sharp teeth, its head covered by a yellow helmet with two horns sticking out the side. Finally, a bush of brown fur covered its neck. The skull and crossbones on its abdomen gave off the impression that it was not friendly.

Izzy went through the files of Digimon that he had on his computer to see what creature that was. It was one they had never encountered before. When he found the creature and read its profile, his face paled.

"That's called a Dokugumon," he said. "They're real nasty. It has an attack called Poison Thread that paralyzes its prey." He looked down into the crater and yelled, "Yolei, get out of there!"

"HELP!" Yolei screamed as she curled up with her knees against her chest, too terrified to move.

Mimi jumped down thoughtlessly. "I'll get her!"

"Mimi, don't!" Sora cried, but was unable to grab her as the Jedi of Sincerity fell to the ground below. A small thud rang out once her feet touched the dirt in a squatting position to absorb the shock.

The large spider had Yolei firmly in its sights. Without warning, it shot a string of purple needles right out of its mouth. Yolei curled tightly into a ball and shut her eyes, waiting for the painful sensation to run through her. This was what she deserved for being so reckless, she thought.

"YOLEI!"

Next thing Yolei knew, she was shoved to the ground. A pained scream erupted before the sound of something hitting the ground. The girl opened her eyes to see what had happened.

"MIMI!" she screamed.

The Jedi of Sincerity rested on her stomach an inch away from her. Needles were buried in her back, and Mimi's breathing became shallow. The poison coursed through her veins. If Yolei didn't act, she would die.

"Yolei, grab the rope!" Sora called down to her.

The lavender-haired Jedi nodded and picked Mimi up to rest on her shoulder before grabbing the rope behind her. The other Jedi started to pull.

"Hurry!" she cried. "Mimi's hurt bad!"

A flash of yellow whizzed past her vision for a second. It was TK. He landed on the ground, his blue lightsaber blade already out, and engaged the large spider. He dodged the needles from its mouth and swiped off a leg. The creature roared in anger and swiped at him with its other legs. The Jedi of Hope dodged each one and leapt onto its back. Dokugumon tried to shake him off by thrashing around, but TK stayed balanced.

"Come on! Pull!" Tai said in a strained voice. "Put your backs into it!"

The other Jedi heeded his command and pulled with everything they had. Lavender hair finally emerged from the abyss a few seconds later and they all pulled Mimi and Yolei up. Yolei flopped onto the ground the second she had cleared the edge, breathing heavily from her near-death experience.

Sora and Kari took Mimi away to be examined, with Joe following right on their heels.

Back down below, TK had finally found a spot where the spider was most vulnerable: its neck. The creature was still moving around wildly, making it hard for him to get a good chance to jump. The mark on his wrist glowed brightly, and time started to slow down for him.

Now that things were much slower, he took advantage and jumped right for the small glimmer of black skin beneath the fur bush. He pointed his saber at it and drove the blade into the neck. The creature roared painfully and disappeared in a burst of data.

TK wiped the sweat off his brow and took a deep breath. That was one less thing they needed to worry about.

He looked up to the top of the crater.

There was a much bigger thing to worry about now.

* * *

"You damn brat! Do you even understand what you've done?!"

Yolei shrunk away and avoided looking back into the furious orbs of the Jedi of Friendship. Matt glared knives into her face, his blue eyes narrowed in fury.

"I-I-I'm sorry," she squeaked. "I-I-I-I-"

"I-I-I-I-I," Matt mocked condescendingly before he roughly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer. Their noses were pressed almost painfully against each other. "You almost got Mimi killed because of your stupidity, you idiot!"

Yolei struggled to choke back her tears as she looked past Matt to where the others were gathered. Joe wrapped bandages around Mimi's mid-section after taking out the needles. She was slightly poisoned, but he took care of that with some antidote he luckily had in his pack.

The tears fell down her face as she started to sniffle. Matt was not moved in the slightest.

"Oh, what now, are you going to cry? Try to beg for sympathy?" he shot. "If anyone deserves sympathy, it's Mimi." He pulled her head towards him so she looked him dead in the eyes.

"How dense can you be?" he hissed, accidentally spraying saliva in her face. "Did you forget that Ken practically killed Sora? If it wasn't for you gaining your healing power, that's exactly what would have happened. Everyone plays a part in this team. Act stupid, and that maniacal, psycho kid will kill you instead. Got it?"

Yolei sobbed loudly now. Sora finally intervened, feeling like Matt was going way too far with this.

"That's enough, Matt!" she growled, squeezing his shoulder roughly.

Matt glared at her as she pulled Yolei into a comforting hug, softly shushing her like a mother comforting a crying child as Yolei sobbed into the crook of Sora's neck.

"You're being way too soft on her, Sora," he shot back. "It's her fault that Mimi had to jump in and take that attack. Yolei needs to learn to take responsibility for her actions. It's not a game!"

"Mimi didn't die, Matt. She'll be fine."

"Yes, but _you _almost did last time!" Matt felt tears of his own start to well up.

Sora shut her eyes and sighed.

"So that's what this is about," she murmured before saying, "Matt, I know that incident scared you, but that was not Yolei's fault. If Mimi hadn't jumped down to protect her, then she probably would have died. Mimi gave herself up to save Yolei."

Matt snorted a harsh breath and walked away. "Don't pretend you almost dying wasn't scary," he said without thinking. "Sugar coating your almost death, and now Mimi's, will not help her see the gravity of this situation. I will not allow the people I care about to be put in harm's way because of some immature ingrate."

Sora turned as red as her hair. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK, MATT ISHIDA!" she roared.

Matt stopped only long enough to look Sora dead in the eyes with a hint of fear. "No."

The Jedi of Love lowered her eyes, accepting his rebuke. As harsh as his words were, she couldn't deny the truth he spoke.

Yolei lifted her head slightly, her eyes and face red from crying. Some tears still traveled down her cheeks.

"He's right," she murmured. "All I do is cause trouble. If I hadn't been so stubborn and gone down into the crater, Mimi wouldn't have gotten hurt."

Sora patted Yolei on the head and pulled her back in for a hug. She rubbed the back of the girl's head as she cried some more.

Davis looked their way from where he stood next to Joe. As much as he wanted to strangle that lavender-haired girl, he could see through her pain how distraught she was over what she caused to Mimi. Sora was doing her best to comfort her, but something told him Yolei needed proof that she was worthy.

'_Proof?' _he thought to himself. _'How could I help that bipolar, insecure girl with proof?' _

A blue light caught his attention. Davis looked down at his wrist and saw the symbol of Friendship flicker with the azure blue light. It felt like the Force was trying to tell him something.

Davis closed his eyes with a chuckle. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before? He knew exactly what to do now.

"What's up, Davis?" Joe asked, noticing the flickering light on the younger boy's wrist.

"I'll be back in a jiffy," Davis replied as he headed for Yolei and Sora.

Unsure on how to interrupt the moment, Davis stood behind Yolei and cleared his throat. "Um, excuse me?"

The two girls turned his way.

"I don't mean to break this up –"

"Great," Yolei spat, wiping her eyes. "Come to rub it in my face too?"

Davis looked to the side nervously. Maybe this wasn't his place to say anything. He rubbed his forearm up and down as he thought of what to say and put it tactfully. He tried again.

"No. Actually, I came to ask for help. Joe gave Mimi an antidote, but I think it would be better if you healed Mimi all the way." Davis looked back at Mimi. ""Call it whatever you like: Penance, team player, playing your part, whatever." He turned back to Yolei. "Anything is better than feeling sorry for yourself. We're a team, Yolei. We all have our gifts, and yours is healing. Use it. But next time, think things through before history repeats again."

Yolei blinked, taking in everything Davis said. She looked up at Sora with hope shining in her eyes. Sora smiled with a nod.

"Thanks, Davis," Yolei murmured. "That really means a lot."

Davis beamed and flashed a thumbs up. "Anytime."

Yolei let go of Sora and slowly walked to where Mimi was resting. The pink-haired girl's peaceful sleeping face was like something out of a fairy tale. The phrase 'death-like' would not have been an appropriate way to describe it after what happened. The medicine Joe had given her knocked her right out.

Yolei trailed a hand across Mimi's cheek.

'_I'm so sorry, Mimi,' _she glumly thought. _'If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I'll do it.' _

Yolei looked at the hand, now resting against Mimi's neck. Maybe there was something she could do.

Davis' words briefly echoed in her ears before she lightly pressed against the soft skin of Mimi's neck. She closed her eyes and concentrated as much energy as she could into the hand. The symbol of Love's red light glowed softly and stayed like that for several moments. Once she felt it was enough, Yolei stopped the power in her hand and pulled it away from Mimi's neck.

Mimi moaned in her sleep and turned over to her side. Yolei smiled softly.

Tai and Davis watched as smiles slowly rose up their faces. Davis couldn't believe that it actually worked. The Jedi of Courage turned to face him, a proud look bled into the smile on his face.

"Nice work, Davis," he said, patting him on the shoulder. "That was good thinking on your part."

Davis accepted the praise with a nod. "Thanks."

TK looked over at them and didn't say a word. A sharp look glossed over his features for a slight moment.

With everyone else, they were struggling to wrap their heads around what had happened. Izzy was especially distressed by this turn of events, which gave Tai the opening to tease him about liking Mimi.

"I do not!" The red-haired boy denied vehemently, but the blush on his face only made Tai smirk more.

"Then why is your face so red, Izzy?"

"Shut up, Tai," Izzy grumbled before projecting to everyone else, "With all of this, why don't some of us go off and search for the Emperor's base? If we don't find it by sundown, we'll all come back and try again tomorrow."

TK nodded. "Good idea, Izzy."

"I'll stay and watch Mimi," Sora replied. "You guys go on ahead."

"Okay, but if something happens, get yourselves out," Tai said. "We'll be in touch with you guys through our communicators. If you get in trouble, leave and we will come as soon as we can."

Sora nodded with a shy smile. "Right."

The rest of the group split off into two teams and went into the forest to search for the Emperor's base. Sora let go of Yolei and sat down beside the sleeping Mimi. The girl breathed softly in her sleep, which made Sora chuckle. Who knew someone could look so peaceful while in such a state of agony.

"Is she okay?" Yolei asked hesitantly.

The auburn-haired Jedi nodded. "Yeah, she's just sleeping," she replied, which earned a sigh of relief from her charge. "Yolei, don't let what Matt said bother you. He just gets distressed when any of us are hurt. He's always been like that, I guess."

"It's not what he said," Yolei sniffled. "Matt's right. It was because of my reckless behavior that we got into that mess. And I'm sorry for yelling back at you too. I just want to do my part to help the group in our quest to defeat the Emperor."

"I know you are," Sora replied with a nod. "But I think you're going about this the wrong way. None of us can do this alone; we all have to pitch in. That doesn't mean you can take the burden on yourself either. Let us all share it with you."

Yolei thought about that for a good few moments, then nodded. "Right."

* * *

"Any luck on your guys' end?" Matt asked Tai through the communicator.

"_Nope, nothing," _Tai replied. _"How about you guys?" _

"Same. Let's go back. The sun's starting to come down, and I don't want to be out here at night."

"_Copy, Matt. We'll meet you in a little bit."_

"Roger."

The Jedi of Friendship turned back to his group, which comprised of TK, Joe, and Cody.

"Tai and the others couldn't find it either," he said. "I think it's best if we just go back to camp."

TK shook his head. "We've barely covered a tenth of this area," he argued. "It's vital that we find the base. We have to keep looking."

"TK's right," Joe agreed. "Let's keep going just a little bit longer. Maybe we'll find the base by then."

"It's going to get dark soon, guys," Matt pushed back. "I don't want to be out here when it does. There's all sorts of dangerous things that come out in the night."

"Just because you're scared of the dark, Matt –"

"I am not scared of the dark!"

Cody drowned out their argument with his thoughts. He couldn't say he disagreed with Joe and TK's reasoning. The whole purpose of coming here was to find the Emperor and stop him for good. He wanted this whole thing to end quickly while they had the chance to do that. On the other hand, Matt also had a valid point. It was easier to get lost in the forest at night, even in a group, but it was even more true in a place like the Digital World. There were probably creatures none of them had encountered before, possibly more deadly than the ones they already had met.

The hairs on his neck stood up. A chill ran down his spine. Something dark and evil was nearby. Cody looked behind him. A dark shadow floated along the face of the cliff far behind their position. He thought it looked like a hovercraft. If it was what he thought it was, then…

"Cody, come on," TK called to him. "We're moving."

The boy snapped out of his daze. "Coming," he replied, running to catch up with the others. "Sorry. I guess I zoned out a bit."

"Everything okay?" Joe asked.

The boy shrugged, thinking it was better to just play it cool. "Yeah, everything's fine. Let's keep going."

* * *

Mimi moaned slightly as her eyes flickered open. Everything was a little blurry at first, but she slowly became aware of her surroundings. The sun blasted her in the face, causing her to raise a hand to block it.

"Mimi, you're awake!" Yolei exclaimed, catching Sora's attention as the two female Jedi crowded around their friend.

Mimi blinked. "Yolei, Sora? What happened?" She looked around the area. "Where is everybody else?"

"They went off in search of the Emperor's base," Sora replied. "You've been asleep for the past few hours, Mimi, after you saved Yolei. Joe was able to stabilize you before things got bad."

Yolei felt her tears start to come back. The guilt gnawed at her heart, prompting her to say what was on her mind.

"Mimi, I'm so sorry," she said. "It's my fault. You could have died trying to save me. If only I hadn't gone down there. None of this would have happened," she hid behind her hands, sobbing. "I did the best I could to heal you. If you're in pain anywhere else, tell me."

Mimi smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just glad to know you're okay, Yolei."

That threw the younger girl off guard. She had not expected this.

She lowered her hands and wiped her tears. "Huh?"

Mimi slowly sat up, showing off her bandaged midsection. Her obi kept the bottom of her yukata in place, but the top part was piled around the dark green sash.

"I wasn't going to just stand there and let that big, ugly spider get you, Yolei," she continued. "During our first adventure, I was in a position to help Sora from Ogremon, but I wasn't allowed to help her."

Sora chuckled at the memory. "That's right. Gennai called you and Joe off."

Mimi laughed as well. "My point is that I wasn't able to do anything last time. I didn't want to go through that again."

"But you almost died because of my recklessness," Yolei argued. "How could you be so forgiving after that? I'm so stubborn, hard-headed, and -"

"And that's why I like you so much," Mimi interrupted her. "Yolei, stubbornness can be a powerful ally if you let it. It's what makes you not want to give up when things look hopeless. You don't want to feel like you're just along for the ride. You want to feel like you have a purpose on this team."

Yolei nodded. "That's right," she wiped tears from her eyes. "I may not be as powerful as TK or Davis, or as wise as Sora, but that doesn't mean I can't try."

"You don't have to be them. Just be you. If you want any advice, there it is. Just be yourself."

The tears came back, but this time, Yolei let them fall and squeezed Mimi tightly.

"Thanks, Mimi," she whispered. "I appreciate that. I promise I will continue to be who I am and not apologize for it."

The pink-haired Jedi of Sincerity wrapped her arm around the girl's back.

"Sounds like a plan," she replied with a giggle.

* * *

**Well sounds like Yolei learned her lesson this time hopefully. What awaits the group next as they search for the Emperor? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. I knew I wanted one last thing to happen for Yolei to really get some development. Even though she seemed to have cooled down after what happened to Sora, Matt's "pep talk" last chapter forced her to take some action. As you can see, it didn't really work out that well. **

**Next time: The Emperor plays with things he should not play with, even if he is the most powerful being in the Digital World at the present time. Make sure to leave a review and subscribe as you go if you haven't already. **

**See you guys again real soon ;-)**


	22. The Powers of Darkness

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yup. We're getting there. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: You hit the nail right on the head. **

**Music Chick: Glad you liked it.**

* * *

**Welcome, everyone, to the next chapter. This is going to be the shortest chapter in the whole story, but it will be well-worth your attention. Just going to go ahead and warn you guys about some dark stuff that comes in this chapter. I'm sure you'll love it. **

**On with the show.**

* * *

The Digimon Emperor grunted as he sipped on another cup of coffee. The readings had to be wrong. There was no other explanation. He carefully planned out everything, so why was the technology failing him?

He silently seethed, _'Stupid computers. Is there no technology capable of being right all the time? Maybe I'll have to invent one someday.' _

He took one last look at the digital map on the monitor to his right. A red dot that signified his base moved from the bottom right hand corner towards a swirl in the middle of the map. This was the last step that needed to be taken before his ultimate plan could start. Even so, something did not feel right.

A couple days ago, he was reading in the base's small library filled with books he found and collected during his travels in the Digital World. While he was reading, he came across a passage in one of the books that talked about a "Dark Whirlpool" that was somewhere in the middle of the sea. Supposedly, the story went that when a dark Digimon was destroyed many years ago, its spirit refused to be reborn at the Primary Village and so was cast away into the depths of the sea. The spirit's energy was so powerful that it created a whirlpool to shield itself from the outside world. Aquatic Digimon were said to fear it so much that every time one would come near it, they would always change course and swim away from it.

Ken could not help but initially laugh. It sounded too much like something out of the Odyssey. The sea monster Charybdis was the only comparison he could really make, though this whirlpool did not swallow any unfortunate soul that dared to cross its path. It all sounded a bit too exaggerated for Ken, so he didn't think much of it until he read a bit further in the passage. The final part captured his interest.

_Whoever has the power and strength to enter this whirlpool can corral the darkness within it and become its master. That being will have the powers of darkness under their complete control and be unstoppable. _

Once he read that, Ken's whole attitude changed. With the powers of darkness, if the passage was to be believed, he could complete the final stage of his master plan and destroy the Destined Jedi forever. The dark side surrounded the whirlpool. He could feel it, even from this far.

It was a chance he was willing to take.

Not long afterwards, he sensed two familiar people not far away from his base. The Jedi were preparing for one last chance at him. He knew it would not be long before they came for him, so he started the engines to fly out. They initially stalled, having not been used in so long, but with a little "jumpstart", the engines roared to life and he fled.

Even with his unmatched power, Ken knew he could not stay on the run forever. The Jedi were never going to give up on their pursuit. He hated to admit it, but he was impressed by how determined they were to defeat him. It would only make their deaths that much more honorable when he unleashed the horror he had planned for them.

The Emperor turned in his chair towards another monitor. A dark silhouette made up of disjointed body parts was right in the middle of the screen. He smiled with a wicked glint in his eyes.

'_Soon, you will be complete. One last section, and there will not be a being in the entire Digital World that can stop me. Not even the Jedi.'_

* * *

The fire crackled and shot embers into the air. Mr. Ishida used the poker to move some of the wood around so that the fire could stay alive. Darkness had settled in over the lake just a little while ago, and he already wanted to go back home. Why did the kids have to leave him alone with his ex-wife and new girlfriend? Why did he even agree to do this?

The fish that Nancy and Rumiko had caught earlier cooked on the pan over the fire. The younger woman monitored the fish while Nancy went back to the cabin to do some work. It was just the two of them outside now.

A blush spread across the man's cheeks.

"Fish almost ready?" he asked.

"Almost," Rumiko replied quietly before sitting down next to him. "Where are the kids? I thought you said they'd be back by sundown."

"Oh, I'm sure they just lost track of the time," Mr. Ishida chuckled nervously. This was why he hated being here. It put him in a bad position to lie to Rumiko about where the kids really were. She did not know about their secret, and granted, he wanted to keep it that way for now, but not at the expense of having to lie to her.

"I'm gonna go look for them. It's dangerous to be out in the woods after dark."

Mr. Ishida grabbed her wrist once she got up.

"NO!" he said in a much higher voice.

The two stared at each other nervously. The blush across the man's face deepened while the younger woman looked at him in confusion. Mr. Ishida desperately searched for something that would make sense to say and get Rumiko to drop the subject.

"I mean, heh heh heh," he started, his words shaking as he added a nervous chuckle. "They're strong kids. They can handle themselves just fine. Why, a couple of years ago, the whole lot of them were stranded out in the forest for a couple of days during their school camping trip, and they came out alright."

'_Like she's ever gonna believe that,' _Mr. Ishida berated himself. It was partly truthful, but with some of the significant details glossed over. _'I'm such an idiot.' _

Rumiko stared directly into his eyes, like she was trying to guess if he was hiding something. They had only been going out for a month, so they did not know each other that well just yet. Even so, she thought it be better to just trust her boyfriend's judgment.

She shrugged. "I guess you're right." Then she looked over at the frying pan. "Fish is ready."

"Good. I'm starving." Mr. Ishida replied, rubbing his stomach to show how hungry he was.

He looked towards the forest, getting an eerie feeling that wherever the kids were, trouble was threatening to boil over.

'_Be safe, you guys. Come back home soon.'_

* * *

The night was peaceful with just the sounds of digital crickets chirping and the wind sweeping through the trees filling the air. This could have been a typical summer night anywhere, which considering how extraordinary the Digital World was brought a sense of normalcy to its inhabitants. It was a little past two o'clock in the morning, and most of the Destined Jedi were asleep. Whatever was left of the fire tried desperately to stay alive through sparking and shooting embers into the air. The smoke rose every few seconds in intervals towards the forest canopy.

TK yawned loudly as he rested his arm against the tree trunk to keep him up. He had been on watch almost two hours and was desperate for it to be over. His eyes had a hard time staying open and would occasionally catch himself before he could nod off. His body was screaming to shut down and recover from the long day, but he was going to fulfill his duty to the group. Once the Jedi talked about who would do night watch, he volunteered right away. Unlike three years ago, when Matt discouraged him from the idea, he was determined to do his part for the group and make sure Ken didn't have any surprise attacks on the menu. Tai admired his enthusiasm for the job, and allowed him to cover the midnight to two shift.

The blonde Jedi of Hope looked back at camp and watched his friends sleep. Their peaceful faces and light breathing put him at ease. So far, he couldn't sense anything close by that was threatening. Ken's presence was nowhere to be felt. It was like he had completely vanished from the grid.

'_If only he would stay gone,' _TK thought. The Digimon Emperor was starting to become a real pain rather than a threat. He talked a big game, but when it came down to it, he only resorted to sneak attacks and ambushes like a coward. Sooner or later, there would be nowhere for him to run and he would have to face the Jedi in a fight to the death. It was a reality that none of them wanted to face, but knew it was inevitable.

"I love this place at night."

TK jumped in surprise. Matt sat down next to him and looked up at the sky.

"Hey, Matt," the younger brother mumbled with a yawn before looking up. "Yeah, the sky's nice here."

"You don't get stars like these back home," Matt continued, staring in mystified wonder. "The thing about stars, TK, is there's no right or wrong in them. They're just there. Watching over us."

TK chuckled. "That's a good way to put it."

The brothers continued looking up at the sky for another five minutes. The light breeze blew lightly through the trees and tossed their hair slightly. TK appreciated having someone with him; it made him feel less alone. Matt made it even better because he was always a source of comfort for the younger blonde.

"Hey, Matt," he said.

"What?"

"Do you ever think we'll be a family again?"

Matt was caught off guard by the question. He stammered a bit to collect his thoughts before saying, "I'm not sure what to tell you, kid. It's something I think about sometimes, but you know how it is with Mom and Dad. Then there's also the woman Dad's dating."

TK still watched the stars, this time lost in thought. "I keep dreaming of the day that Mom and Dad will come to their senses and get back together again. It's something I've always thought about since our first adventure. There's always a chance for it."

"That would be nice, TK," Matt conceded. "But I'm not sure if it's really going to –"

"You need to get over your issues with Mom. She loves you, Matt. Deeply. When are you going to stop blaming her for something that they both are responsible for?"

"I don't wanna talk about this," Matt replied, wanting to move away from the subject. "All I can say is keep your head up, kid. You never know what could happen in the future."

TK sighed and nodded. "You're right."

"Go on and get some sleep. I'll take over for ya."

"Thanks."

Before TK got too far, Matt held his arm out to halt his progress.

"Hey, I love ya," he said with a gentle smile. "You'll always be my brother no matter what happens with Mom and Dad. We're gonna get through this together."

"I love you too," TK returned his brother's smile. "Good night."

"Night."

The younger blonde went to his sleeping mat and settled under the blanket. Matt watched him for another couple of minutes to make absolutely sure he was asleep. Light snores reached his ears. He smiled and turned back to the open valley ahead of him. The land was peaceful and quiet.

'_If you only knew what I did, TK,' _Matt thought sadly. _'I'm sorry.'_

* * *

A beeping sound went off on the monitor to Ken's left. The Digimon Emperor turned from the screen he had been staring at for the last two hours and checked what was going on. A swirl in the middle of the screen, with a small red dot coming from the bottom of the screen.

Ken smiled. Everything was going according to plan.

A chill went down his spine. The world started becoming cold. Ken almost thought he could see his breath when he would exhale. The dark side of the Force was so overpowering when one was in its presence that it was like standing in the middle of a ferocious blizzard completely devoid of clothing. The icy winds were nipping away at the soul and sucking out the will to live. The only wish to be made was for the suffering to end.

Ken reached his hand out, and with the Force caused the far wall to rise. Instead of a cold, dark wall, floor to ceiling windows revealed the open sea in front of him. The water outside was slightly murky, but the Digimon Emperor could vividly see the outlines of a funnel a few yards up ahead. The Dark Whirlpool.

'_Your new master is coming,' _Ken deviously thought as a salacious grin began on his face. A low laugh began as a rumbling in his throat. With every chuckle, it rose in volume until becoming a full blown maniacal cackle that filled the entire room.

He smirked as he witnessed the dark void that lied in wait before him come closer and closer. Once he had tapped into its power, his final plan would be able to commence, resulting in his total victory over the annoying Jedi. He would give them one last chance to join him. If they refused, all would be executed.

Finally, the ship breached through the sea wall and hovered over the dark abyss below. The stars twinkled above as the dark sky made it impossible to see the bottom of the whirlpool. Goosebumps ran up Ken's arms, but he ignored the feeling running through him. He was the Digimon Emperor, the most powerful being in the entire Digital World, and he feared nothing.

Ken pressed the receiver button on the console in front of him.

"All units, deploy!" he ordered.

Alarms went off as a hole in the bottom of the base opened up. Three Mekanorimon flew out into the whirlpool in search of the power source. Ken smiled wickedly as he watched his impending victory practically lay itself in his hands.

As the Mekanorimon descended into the abyss, small wisps that looked like ghosts surrounded them from all sides. Pained moans and cries filled their ears, but the mechanical Digimon paid them no heed.

Suddenly, one of them felt like it was being pulled from all sides by an invisible rope. The Mekanorimon tried to rebalance itself, but the gravity was too strong. It let out a monotone cry as it rapidly fell to the bottom of the whirlpool.

Ken was snapped out of his gleeful bliss. What was happening? He didn't get any immediate answers as another of the Mekanorimon was pulled down, followed by the other.

"How did that happen?!" he shrieked and pressed against the earpiece in his ear. "Come in, all of you! Come in!" he yelled, but there was no answer. Ken ripped the device out of his ear and threw it onto the ground, smashing it with his foot. This was not part of the plan.

Without another word, Ken stormed out of the control room for the hallway. Why did he have to depend on others to get jobs done for him? He was a genius for crying out loud! He didn't need any help with anything. The only person one could depend on to get things done right were themselves.

"Of all the times that something could go wrong, it has to be now?" he grumbled as he fast-walked down the hall with heavy footsteps. "No matter. I'll just find it myself. I'm the Digimon Emperor. Nothing can stop me."

"Is that what you really think, Kenny?" a familiar voice behind him said.

Ken's stopped walking, his blood going cold. An icy feeling went through him.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he hissed. "How did you get on board my ship without me knowing?"

The voice laughed venomously. "Silly Kenny, I've always been here. I've been with you every step of the way."

As it laughed again, Ken couldn't stand not knowing the identity of his tormentor a second longer.

"Who are you?"

"Call me your shadow."

The Digimon Emperor turned quickly. He froze in shock. Standing in the middle of the hallway was a figure that looked to be an exact copy of him. The same suit, the same gauntlets, the same sunglasses, right down to the same hairstyle. The only difference between them was this Digimon Emperor was slightly taller than himself.

"Hello, Kenny," the faux Emperor said. "How have you been, my brother?"

"Sam," Ken breathed, unable to believe what he was seeing. His look of fascination disappeared in a second. "You're not really here. You're just a figment of my imagination. You are dead, and there's no changing that."

"Do I look like a ghost to you, Kenny?" Sam snickered.

"Don't use that stupid nickname! You're not really Sam. You're just an amalgamation of my thoughts personified as my dead brother! I saw his body before they closed the casket on him."

"While my body may have left, my spirit remained beside you this whole time," the faux Emperor shot back. "Do you honestly think that you can control the forces of darkness? You were always a fool, Kenny, but I never thought you could be this foolish."

"Oh, you think taunts from a dead man are really going to stop me?" Ken smirked as he looked directly towards Sam's eyes.

"Yeah."

"Shut up! I don't have to take any of this from you. I'm better than you could've hoped to dream! You're dead, and I survived. It was a great day for me when you died. It was time for me to get the proper respect I deserved from everyone."

Sam cackled. "Is that all you thought about? You merely stole my destiny and tried to fulfill it. I'm the only one who is able to command the darkness, not you. It was my destiny to take over the Digital World." He looked at the saber on Ken's waist. "You even took my lightsaber from me when I asked you not to touch it."

Ken clenched his fists as his anger ravaged like a wildfire. "The lightsaber was never yours to begin with, Sam! It was mine! It chose me!"

He took the saber and unleashed the blue blade within it. He growled, "Keep smiling. It's all you were ever good at!"

Ken charged forward as Sam activated his lightsaber and deflected Ken's first strike. The younger sibling simply shrugged off the deflection and kept up with the offensive as he threw three more slashes towards Sam's chest.

Sam responded to them in quick fashion before he threw an attack of his own that Ken blocked. Sam continued with the counterattack before the two brothers locked sabers, with both of them trying to win the deadlock.

However, Ken was soon able to break through and knocked Sam's lightsaber aside, leaving him wide open for an attack.

"Goodbye, Sam!" Ken cried out in sinister glee before he decapitated his brother.

Ken panted as he caught his breath before Sam's body collapsed on the floor and his head landed next to it. Ken's eyes suddenly went wide as Sam's glasses fell off to reveal not his face, but rather Ken's own.

A small scream emitted from Ken's lips as he swiftly backed up into the wall. Seeing the headless body brought back the same terrible memories of what happened long ago. He had killed his own brother again.

His breathing came out in swift ragged gasps. His fists grasped as much hair as they could hold, but Ken was so traumatized by what he saw that he didn't notice the pain.

"What just happened?" he said between gasps. "How was that possible? He's dead."

"_Fool_…" Sam's voice echoed across the chamber as Ken growled once more, snapping out of his shock.

"I will not be taunted by a dead fool!" he roared. "I am the Digimon Emperor! No one mocks me!"

He resumed his walk down the hallway towards the hangar. Once he got there, he jumped into one of the Mekanorimon's heads and took off. What happened in the hallway continued to dog his thoughts as he flew towards the bottom of the abyss.

'_Fool, am I?_' he stewed. _'Once I control the powers of darkness and finish my ultimate weapon, no one will remain to criticize me. I'm alive, and Sam's dead. Nothing will change.' _

Ken's obsession with being the most powerful started when he was helpless in the shadow of his older brother. Sam got the most attention from everyone, and Ken was treated like he didn't exist from anyone around them, even their parents. He never wanted to feel that way again. Once he took over the Digital World, maybe he would move on to the human world too. Without the Jedi to stop him, the world's leaders would quickly appease him in order to not be destroyed. He shrugged. No matter, he thought, he'd destroy it all anyway.

As everything got even darker, Ken switched on the headlights that rested on the mechanical Digimon's shoulders. He looked around the dark whirlpool for any signs of life, but saw nothing. He became more visibly frustrated. Maybe that legend was just that: a legend.

"_Be careful when playing with the Dark Side_," an unfamiliar voice that sounded like pure evil began to echo in Ken's mind.

Ken's eyes went wide once more at what he saw in front of him.

The voice began to cruelly laugh.

"_The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities,_" it said. "_Some considered to be unnatural._"

A tall being with blood red eyes looked directly into the Emperor's. It was vampire-like in appearance with two fangs peeking out from its shriveled grey lips. The full-body suit it wore was dark navy in color with two wings poking out of the back. On the front, an orange face was splattered in the appearance of a jack-o-lantern. Its arms were long with sharp claws tipping the ends of its hands.

"Who are you?" Ken ordered.

The vampire snickered. "_I am here to warn you, o great one,_" it said. "_The powers of darkness can corrupt those who are not strong enough to control them. It will deliver you to madness. Beware the darkness, lest it destroy you." _

Ken scoffed. "Beware the darkness?" he mockingly replied. "I _AM_ THE DARKNESS, YOU FOOL! I AM THE GHOST _AND _THE DARKNESS! Thanks for the advice, but I don't think I'll need it."

The Digimon cackled. "_Your arrogance blinds you, Emperor,_" it sneered. "_Better be careful, or it will destroy you much quicker than the darkness._"

"SHUT UP!" Ken roared, pressing a switch near him. A large suction arm emerged from the Mekanorimon's shoulders and started to absorb the Digimon's data. Within moments, the vampire had completely disappeared. His mission was complete. "YOU HEAR THAT, SAM? WHO'S THE FOOL NOW?!"

A wild look started to appear in Ken's eyes. It was like an animal instinct inside of him finally was freed from the chains that held it back and now allowed to roam free. He was alive at last. His final plan was now ready to commence.

When it was over, he would be undisputed. Respected. Saluted. And seen for the wonder he was.

The words rolled off his tongue.

"_My teeth and ambitions are bared. Be prepared!"_ he recited with a broadening psychotic grin before unleashing the most blood-curling laugh that the whole Digital World could feel in their blood.

* * *

**Creepy, huh? You could say that a shining new era is tiptoeing nearer. What is this weapon that Ken has been working on? You will all have to wait one more week to find out about that ;-p Stay tuned for the next chapter of Attack of the Emperor because these next two chapters are going to be a ride. **

**You all probably know what the last part is from, so the copyright goes to that. **

**As always, leave a review with your thoughts going forward and be sure to subscribe to the story if you haven't. ****I'm back in the spring semester, so you guys know how that is. I'm going to do my best to stay on schedule. **

**I'll see you guys real soon. **


	23. Kimeramon

**Reviews: **

**Ratchet McCloud: Not quite, but I like your idea. Thanks for all your reviews, Ratchet. They are always appreciated. And you got all the references right ;-)**

**Ackbarfan5556: Yup. Thanks for that. Sorry I forgot to attribute that scene to you. **

**Music Chick: Glad you liked it :)**

**Yagami Kuzuki: Someone will go down a dark path soon enough, though it probably won't be the person you think ;-) Stay tuned. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thanks for all the reviews and I am glad you loved the last three chapters. You are going to love this one even more. I guarantee it.**

* * *

**Well, guys. There's nothing much more to say other than welcome to the new chapter. We are getting very close to the final confrontation between Ken and the Jedi. This chapter I decided to make a bit longer than the last three because there is a bit more to throw in. ****Hope you guys like it.**

**And here we go!**

* * *

"_Arukou. Arukou. Watashi wa genki. Aruko no daisuki. Dondon yukou." _

The Jedi walked happily through the forest path. Mimi and Yolei marched at the back of the pack, leading the group in a song to help lift their spirits. It had been a long walk, but the group still found no trace of the Emperor's base. Even though they had covered practically every inch of the continent of Server, Ken's location was hard to track.

Through the forest, over the mountains, and across the plains they went. It was a long and difficult journey, but their determination to defeat their great enemy and end his reign of terror kept them going.

The Jedi now entered a series of dark caves that smelled of sulfur and mildew. They activated their lightsabers to help them see in the dark. As they walked along, they heard the sounds of water dripping from the stalactites and their own footsteps echoing in the cave. The Force was getting stronger the further they went, leading them on to where they would hopefully find Ken's base.

"Can we stop for a moment?" Mimi asked. "My feet hurt."

Tai looked back and gave her a nod. "Okay. We've been walking all day, so we deserve a bit of a break," he said. "Five minutes, everyone. Then we move out."

The others collapsed right on their bottoms, exhausted from all the walking they had been doing in the last twelve hours. The girls stepped out of their sandals to rub their feet, and Davis reclined on his pack to read one of his manga. Their stomachs growled with hunger. The only food they had had that day was a small loaf of bread that was cut into eleven pieces at breakfast. Everyone was tired.

"You know, for all his talk of wanting to kill us, Ken sure is making it difficult for us to find him," said Davis. The thought dawned on him. "Maybe he doesn't want us to find him."

Matt looked at him incredulously. "Ken always hides from us, Davis," he replied. "He's a coward."

"But he is very powerful," Tai said. "If we're going to end this, we need to accept the fact that he's elusive because he chooses to be. Look at all the things he has done to us by being slippery. Not even the Dark Masters were like this."

"That's because this isn't like the Dark Masters," TK added with rising annoyance. "We can't compare the two situations. The Dark Masters manipulated the Digital World to their will and made it difficult for us to do much of anything. We only survived because Kari and I outwitted Piedmon. If not, you guys would still be key chains."

"What's with the attitude, TK?" Matt asked, wondering what had gotten into his brother. "You haven't been yourself since this morning."

TK groaned. "It's nothing," he bit back. "Just we have been walking around this stupid continent all day and there is still no trace of Ken. What is it going to take for us to find him?"

"Be patient," Tai shot back, standing nose to nose with the young blonde. TK stood his ground defiantly, not letting Tai intimidate him.

Matt stood to his feet next to the two. He studied his brother closely. This wasn't like him at all.

Things went deathly silent for several moments before Davis broke the tension.

"The thing about Ken is he always shows up when we don't want him to," he said. "When we want him to come, he never does. Maybe if we do it the other way and hope he doesn't find us, we'll find him."

Mimi nodded. "You know, that actually makes sense," she agreed.

"Yeah," Joe echoed.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Yolei exclaimed. "How does that even make sense?"

"GUYS!" Sora yelled, the sound booming off the cave walls. The cave returned to its previous deathly silence as the echo of Sora's voice dissipated slowly. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

Sora took a deep breath then squeezed the bridge of her nose to get herself under control. She spoke in an even tone that still conveyed her annoyance.

"Grow up," she said. "We've had a long day and we are tired and hungry, but that doesn't give us a reason to fight with each other. We are so close to finding Ken. Don't fall apart before we can get there."

Tai backed off of TK and looked back at the Jedi of Love with softer eyes.

"You're right," he said with a sigh. "I know we've been asking a lot out of you guys, but just hold in there a little longer. We're almost there."

His words were met with nods of agreement.

Cody sensed something nearby. While no one else was looking, he stepped carefully down the tunnel guided only by the Force. Whatever the thing was, it was calling to him. The tunnel got darker and darker the further he went. His eyes adjusted to it, but he used his saber as a torch when he felt far enough away from everyone else.

'_This is weird,' _he thought. _'Where are you taking me?' _

"Alright, five minutes are up." Tai said, standing back to his feet. "Let's keep moving, everyone. We've got a lot of ground to cover."

Joe picked up his pack and looked over to make sure Cody had everything…but all he saw was the boy's pack. It was left in the same spot he placed it, but there was no sign of its owner. The Jedi of Reliability's eyes widened with fear. The youngest Destined Jedi was gone.

"Where's Cody?" he asked, looking around the area for any signs of him. He saw everyone else except for the one whom he was looking for. "Any of you guys seen him?"

"Not since a few minutes ago," Sora replied, her concern rising.

"Cody?" Yolei called, but received no answer. "Where are you?"

* * *

"_Where are you_?" Ken sang in a mocking voice as his eyes remained glued to the monitor in front of him. It showed the desert ground below, which glowed pink in the evening sunset. "_Destined Jedi. Come out, come out, wherever you are. Come to me so I can kill you_."

A deranged giggle escaped his lips. Wherever the Jedi were, he would find them and destroy them. But he had been looking for an entire day and found no trace of them. He watched the camera feed for another few minutes before giving up.

"_In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight," _he cackled loudly.

Another cold laugh overtook his laugh. Ken snapped out of his psychosis, realizing how familiar it was. He felt like a large bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.

"_Kenny,_" a ghost-like whisper echoed in the room.

Ken's pupils dilated. He recognized the voice.

"Go away, Sam! You've made your point!" he roared, drawing his saber.

But the voice didn't stop. It kept whispering "_Kenny, Kenny, Kenny,_" over and over again until it sounded like the voice was taunting him.

"Stop," Ken pressed his hands against his ears, trying to block out the voice.

"_Kenny boy._"

"Stop it!"

"_Beware the darkness, Kenny. Lest it send you to the pits of Hell!_"

Fire appeared around Ken. It wasn't hot, but it still terrified him. He screamed loudly until the flames finally disappeared. Even with his hands against his ears, Ken could still hear everything the voice said. It was like a small pin poking at his brain and driving him insane. He wanted all of this to end. He unleashed the loudest cry he could muster.

"STOOOOOPPPPPP!"

Force lightning shot from his hands to both sides of the room. Anything that got in the way was electrocuted on the spot and either shut down or destroyed. After a few seconds, Ken stopped the lightning.

The room was now quiet. Quiet as a long-forgotten tomb. Ken breathed heavily, relieved to hear nothing but silence. The deranged smile returned to his face. What did it matter if his brother's ghost was taunting him? He was in control now, and nothing would stop him. Not even some stupid voice.

A low hissing voice entered his head from somewhere in the depths of the base.

"_Hungry,_" it said in a strange language. "_Must feed._"

"_Patience, my pet,_" Ken replied through the Force in the same language. "_Soon_, _you will get your chance._ _Those blasted kids will be dead before we know it, and then the real world is ours for the taking._"

A loud maniacal laugh filled the whole chamber.

* * *

"Cody? Cody?"

The Jedi's voices filled the caverns as they searched for their youngest member. Davis and Yolei led the way in order to sense the trail of the boy's Force energy. He had gone down an extremely dark tunnel that was near them and was on the move.

"Where is he?" Davis hissed. "He should know better than to run off like this."

After a few more steps, the group came to a split in the path. There were three tunnels in front of them: one to the left, one in the middle, and one to the right. Each one was completely dark, not giving them a chance to see which one was better.

"Which way do we go?" Mimi asked.

TK closed his eyes and concentrated with all of his strength. He stopped. It felt like Cody was coming towards them.

Footsteps reached their ears, followed by a far-off cry of, "Guys!" The Jedi waited a few seconds longer to be absolutely sure what they were hearing was real. Out of the darkness from the right tunnel, a green lightsaber blade came charging towards them.

"Cody!"

The boy emerged from the tunnel. When he saw all of their worried faces turn to relief, he knew he had messed up.

"Where have you been?" Yolei snapped with her hands on her hips. "Do you know how worried we were?"

"I'm sorry for leaving you guys without telling you," he bowed as he apologized. "I didn't mean to worry you, but I sensed something nearby."

Davis glared at him. "It better be something good," he said darkly.

Cody nodded and ran back down the tunnel. "This way."

The rest of his friends followed closely behind. The tunnel wound and turned oddly, feeling more like a maze. Twists and turns, running down strange side tunnels that didn't seem to lead anywhere. Finally, fresh air blasted them in the face.

The Jedi were standing on top of a cliff overlooking the valley below. Night had fallen on the Digital World. The air swirled around below, but the Jedi felt none of it. They felt like they were on top of the world. Anywhere was better than being stuck in a cave.

"Nice work, Cody!" TK said, ruffling the boy's head. "You got us out of there."

Cody blushed in embarrassment. "Thanks."

Davis was not quite impressed. "Yeah, but what is there to look at?" he said. "We still have not found the base yet."

Just at that moment, the group sensed Ken nearby. But that was not all. With him, there was another dark presence as well. Something the group had never felt before, but knew it was extremely evil just from the chills they got.

"What is that?" Cody asked timidly. He rubbed his hands along his arms, trying to settle the goosebumps on them. "Do you guys feel it too?"

"Yeah," Tai nodded. He looked around the area for any sign of the base, but saw nothing.

"Look!" Mimi cried, pointing off in the distance.

A large object appeared on the horizon, getting closer and closer to the hills. The Jedi were amazed at the sheer size of it. The ship was made of rock, and constructed at a perfect 45-degree angle. It looked more like a floating colony than a normal air ship.

"Look at the size of that thing," Davis breathed with wide eyes. "Ken built this?"

"I can't believe it," Izzy echoed. He studied every detail of the base's exterior in fascination. A rare feeling of inferiority washed over him. This was something he could only dream of building, but Ken did it in such a short amount of time.

Matt glared at the two of them.

"We can be impressed later," he said. "How are we going to get inside?"

Looking at the monstrosity, no one saw any ways in. The only possible entrances were most likely places that Ken had cameras on at all times. They would be caught if they tried to go through those. Slowly, it dawned on them. There was no real way to get in there without being detected.

"Look, a secret cave!" Davis cried, pointing to a hole towards the bottom of the ship. It looked as though it was safe. It was far enough below that Ken probably never thought of putting security cameras on it.

Everyone looked at Tai for permission. The Jedi of Courage thought of all the possible scenarios and decided it was the best option for them. He nodded with approval.

"Let's go, team," he said. "We've got an Emperor to catch."

"Yeah!"

The younger Jedi got a running start and jumped off the cliff down towards the entrance one at a time. Davis and TK landed perfectly, as did Kari. Yolei almost lost her balance on the ledge, but kept herself upright to stick the landing.

"Come on, Cody!" TK called up to the youngest Jedi, who eyed the distance fearfully.

Cody felt the urge to throw up as a sense of vertigo overtook him. It was a pretty wide distance, and he wasn't tall enough to where he could keep himself stable on the landing.

"Let's go!" Davis shouted.

The youngest Destined Jedi swallowed the fear in his throat and nodded. He took a few steps back before running as fast as he could. The Force gave him an extra boost and he leapt off of the ledge. The wind flapped his yukata all around and blasted him in the face as he fell towards the ledge.

Cody's face fell when he realized he was going to be just short of it. When he was an inch away, he thrust his arms out and grabbed the ledge.

"Pull me up! Pull me up!" he screamed frantically, desperately trying to pull himself up.

TK and Davis rushed over to help and managed to pull him up. Adrenaline overwhelmed Cody's senses. He took a few deep breaths and his body slowly stopped shaking.

"That was scary," he shuddered.

TK patted him on the back and looked back towards the older kids. This was going to be a bit of a problem. They could not use the Force to help them leap over, and the base was still moving. How were they going to get across?

It took him to two seconds to figure out a plan.

"Get ready to jump, guys," he said.

Matt looked at him like he was insane. "What?"

"Are you crazy?" Joe cried. "We wouldn't make it!"

"Just trust me," TK shouted back. "When I say jump, you guys jump. We'll take care of the rest."

The older Jedi did not know what to think. On its face, the plan was completely insane. There was no way it would work. They would plummet straight to the ground below and be stains on the desert sand in seconds. They didn't come this far just to go out like that.

But Tai suddenly realized what TK said. He only hoped that they would be strong enough for it. There was no other way.

"Alright," he called. "But you better know what you're doing."

"What?!" his teammates protested.

"Tai, you're not seriously going along with this, are you?" Sora exclaimed.

He flashed his famous grin at his friends. They relaxed all of a sudden. Whenever Tai would smile like that, they knew everything was going to be fine.

"TK knows what he's doing," he said. "Besides, do you guys have any better ideas of getting over there?"

The other Jedi fell silent.

"It'll be okay."

"Jump!" TK cried.

Without a word of warning, Tai jumped off of the ledge. For a second, gravity did what it was supposed to do as it pulled him downward. Tai shut his eyes, praying that whatever TK had planned, it worked. If it didn't, he was going to be a stain on the rocky ground below.

Suddenly, he felt his momentum start to slow down until he came to a complete stop. Tai opened his eyes and saw he was hovering in mid-air. This reminded him of when the others met Puppetmon for the first time. The Dark Master held the Jedi in suspended air while he made fun of them. This time, he was thankful to be hovering. It was better than dying.

Then, like a yo-yo and string, Tai was pulled towards the entrance. TK had his hand stretched out to assist him until the Jedi of Courage finally landed on the ledge. He let go of the breath he had been holding once his feet hit the ground.

"Thanks," he said. His stomach felt like it had gone all the way into his mouth.

Back on top of the cliff, Matt took a deep breath and decided to just get it over with.

"Here I…go!" he shouted as he ran off the ledge. He screamed with fright until he was caught by the Force and pulled towards Tai and the younger kids.

The others all decided to bite the bullet and jump together. Just like Matt, they all screamed the whole way down until they were brought to rest in mid-air, then guided to safety.

Now that they were all together, and after gathering their bearings, the Jedi went into the base. Just like in the cave, they used their lightsabers to light their way through the darkness.

The whole base felt like it was shrouded in evil. Everywhere the Jedi went, they had the unsettling feeling of being watched. They were now in the belly of the beast, and they had to tread carefully. Whatever else was here, it did not feel friendly.

The Jedi moved silently along the tunnel, keeping their ears open while the younger kids heightened their awareness so that there were no surprises. The walls looked like they were moving, but the kids realized it was just the light from their sabers. This was so nerve-wracking! That other presence could be anywhere. They honestly were more scared of that than Ken because this was something they had never seen or felt before. No one knew what it was.

Joe heard a low hissing sound coming from the walls. He quickly turned, but saw nothing. For a second, he thought it was just his imagination, but then he heard movement to go along with the hissing.

"Guys!" he whispered hoarsely. Goosebumps traveled up his arms.

"What's the matter, Joe?" Cody asked.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That hissing a second ago."

Matt turned to glare at him. "It's just your imagination, Joe. Don't be a scaredy cat again."

"I'm serious, Matt! There is something moving in here and it's not just us."

Matt grumbled as he hoisted up his saber and looked around the tunnel. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just a bunch of rock-covered walls and stalactites at the top of the tunnel.

"There's nothing there, Joe," he said. "Why do you do this every single time? Be mindful of your feelings."

Joe sighed and nodded. It probably was just his overactive imagination. The group continued on.

Up ahead, the tunnel ended and transitioned into a futuristic-looking hallway. It looked like something out of the Jetsons' version of the 21st century. Shiny metal graced the floors, the ceilings, and the walls. Everything was clean and well maintained. Just a few steps away, the floor came to a screeching halt at an open ledge. A long apparatus that went from the depths of the base to the very top was right in the middle of the structure. Pathways branched off from it near the top and at the bottom. This was probably the control base that gave the entire ship power.

Davis gulped. "That's a pretty long way down," he said, looking into the pit below. "How far of a fall do you guys think it is?"

"At least a hundred feet," Izzy replied. "Though I don't wish to find out."

"With you there, Izzy," Mimi agreed.

Tai was surprised that they hadn't tripped an alarm already. He was certain that in a time like this, Ken would beef up his security to leave no stone unturned. For once, the group felt like they were catching a lucky break.

"Here's the plan," he said quietly. "Izzy, you sneak down to the engine room and disable the engines. The rest of us will take care of Ken. We'll hold out as long as you need to destroy the engines."

A low rumble echoed from the walls. The Jedi seized up in fear. Yolei hugged Mimi tightly, whimpering fearfully.

Joe gave Matt the 'I-told-you-so' eye. "Now don't tell me you didn't hear that," he said.

"What was it?" TK asked, looking at the walls.

"I don't know, but we better move fast," Tai said, feeling more skittish by the second. Whatever they had just heard could be along at any moment. "Get going, Izzy."

The computer genius nodded. "Right." He saw a chain-link pulley nearby that seemed to go down to the bottom of the pit and went over to it. "Good luck. May the Force be with you, guys," he said as he rode the pulley down to the bottom.

"Be careful, Izzy," Mimi murmured, worried for his safety.

"He'll be alright, Mimi," Sora assured with a warm smile and pat on the back. "Let's get moving."

"Right."

Davis felt a chill run down his back. He turned around and a door opened. A hoard of Bakemon emerged and went straight for the Jedi. His lightsaber roared to life and he started slashing at the ghosts.

Tai jumped in to help. "Run!" he told the others. "Get going! Davis and I will hold them off."

The rest of the Jedi nodded and ran to a nearby stairwell. The room buzzed with the roar of lightsabers slashing through the air and the cries of Bakemon when they burst into data.

When all of the Bakemon were destroyed, Tai and Davis deactivated their sabers and ran to the stairs. If the Bakemon were sent to stop them, then Ken must have known that they all were there.

'_Izzy,' _Tai thought as he and the younger boy pushed themselves to catch up with their friends.

* * *

Izzy moved down the walkway as quietly as possible. From down at this level, he had a true appreciation for how large the apparatus was. The technology had to be advanced hundreds of years, more than what the human world was capable of now. It was unfortunate that they had to destroy it.

'_The things we could learn from this,' _he thought. _'Our technology could improve leaps and bounds.' _

Izzy accidentally took a hard step on the grated walkway. The sound was so loud that he swore his heart stopped. He cringed, expecting alarms to go off. His heart thumped in his chest, filling his ears with the sound.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing happened. He took a large deep breath in relief. That was scary. Izzy continued on cautiously, watching every step he took and landing softly on the walkway. Because of his snail-like movements, it took him longer to reach the engine room.

'_This should not be too hard,' _Izzy thought confidently as he walked inside. _'Just have to find the power cables and sever those from the main power source.' _

His jaw dropped at the amount of machinery in the room.

"Oh, mama."

* * *

Tai felt his heart pounding in his chest as he continued to run up the steps. His body screamed in protest to stop, but he ignored it and kept running. They no longer had the element of surprise to their advantage, but still outnumbered Ken. Bakemon chased them, but were quickly gaining on the two boys.

"Keep going, Davis!" he shouted at the boy next to him.

"I'm going!" Davis shouted back.

They climbed a few more steps. The Bakemon were coming around the bend in the stairwell. Tai and Davis prepared to stand their ground and fight. They took their sabers into their hands, ready to draw them out, when they found themselves pulled to their right.

"Hey! What the –" they exclaimed before hands covered their mouths.

The Bakemon flew right on by without a second thought. Tai and Davis looked behind them and saw the others hiding in the dark closet too. The hands around their mouths belonged to Matt and Sora.

"What would you do without me?" Sora teased before letting go of Tai.

"Thanks, guys," the Jedi of Courage smiled. "Though we easily could have taken them. Bakemon are incredibly stupid."

"We've drawn way too much attention to ourselves because of this," Matt grumbled. "Let's try to stay hidden before we find Ken. I'm sure he's looking for us now."

A maniacal cackle filled the air above them. The Jedi recognized that laugh instantly. There went yet another plan.

"The Destined Jedi," Ken snickered as he descended the stairs slowly like a ghost. "Come to die like the dogs they are. This will be a day long remembered."

It had been a while since the Jedi had seen Ken in the flesh, and they were not impressed by what they saw. His hair was disheveled, and behind his sunglasses, his eyes had a wild, animalistic look that portrayed no humanity in them.

"This is your last chance to surrender, Ken," said TK. "We don't want to hurt you."

Ken snickered. "But I want to hurt _you_," he returned. "You have foiled me every single time, and ruined all of my plans to bring peace, freedom, justice, and security to a world that needs it."

Matt could not believe what he was hearing. His determination to defeat Ken had been a simmer before, but was now a roaring inferno. The idiot was annoying the hell out of him.

"The only thing you have done is bring fear and devastation wherever you have gone," he shot. "These creatures you're enslaving are real beings, not just files of data on your computer."

"Shut up! I'll give you all one last chance to join me. We can rule this world together. Make things the way we want them to be."

"And we are not interested in your little scheme," Tai shot back. He activated his lightsaber. _Pshew! _"This is where it all ends, Ken."

The other Jedi copied Tai as their lightsabers roared to life. Ken smirked. The time for games was over. This was the moment he had been waiting for ever since he first met these kids four months ago.

"Very well," he said, pushing the left side of his cape to the side to reveal his lightsaber. He unhooked it from his waist and the blue blade roared to life. "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy." Fire shined in his eyes. "And I slaughter my enemies mercilessly!"

"Shut your trap!" Matt snarled. He was in no mood for the typical villain monologue. His anger towards the Emperor pushed him forward.

Tai tried to stop him. "Matt, wait!"

But Matt didn't listen. He charged at Ken, his saber primed to kill. The Emperor anticipated his move and dodged the saber strike before kicking the back of his right leg. Matt fell and hit the stairs on his back.

Ken didn't stop there. A torrent of Force lightning erupted from his left hand and engulfed the Jedi of Friendship. Matt screamed in excruciating pain.

"Matt!" TK cried, wanting to jump in and help him but Kari held him back.

Ken looked carelessly at his thrashing prey.

"You have annoyed me the most, Matt Ishida," he hissed. "I have never forgiven you from when we first met. For your insolence, I shall kill you first."

Davis looked between TK and Matt. He couldn't sit around and watch this happen any longer. Matt was one of his two crests. He would not let anything more happen to him.

"Hey, Ken!"

The Digimon Emperor looked up and was met with a straight punch to the face. Ken was knocked off balance, which halted the lightning from torturing Matt even further. He and Davis traded strikes as the other Jedi jumped into action.

TK kneeled down beside Matt. "You okay, Matt?" he asked.

The Jedi of Friendship groaned as he rolled over to his side. His body hurt all over as it tried to recover from the assault. Finally, he opened his eyes slightly to look up at his younger brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine, TK," he nodded as he started to sit up. "Let's get this guy."

TK watched as Ken tied Davis' saber up before kicking him in the stomach and throwing him into Tai and Joe. Cody stepped in to try and help, but was also defeated quickly. This was not looking good.

'_Izzy, hurry up. We need you to come through for us, pal!'_

* * *

For the first time in his life, Izzy was completely stumped by technology. The wiring and systems that Ken had at his disposal were far more advanced than anything he had ever worked with. This kind of technology belonged in Star Trek or Star Wars.

One time, he had taken a tour at an Air Self-Defense Force base and picked the brains of some of the engineers about the systems they used. Figuring he was just an interested youngster, they spilled all their secrets with him. The engine types that they used in their fighter planes were 2250-B27s, arguably some of the most advanced in the world. They were so well-designed that the pilots could lose two of them and still fly well.

'_Maybe if I do this,_' he thought, turning a knob one way. Nothing happened. _'Okay, never mind.' _

Izzy sighed as he sat in a frustrated squat. This was something he did not need. Everyone else was counting on him to do this job, and right now he was not doing it. It made him feel useless for the first time since becoming a Destined Jedi. He was the Jedi of Knowledge for crying out loud! He was supposed to know what to do in situations like these.

"What am I going to do?" he asked himself. "This is beyond my knowledge and abilities to figure out. I hate to say it, but there's someone who is smarter than me. Ken certainly lives up to his reputation as a genius. Come on, Izzy. Think."

The boy strained his mind to think of an idea. He concentrated so hard that it hurt, the veins in his head standing out like they were ready to burst. Time was of the essence, and who knew when that thing within the walls would come around. That thought pushed him to think faster. But what?

Izzy looked around the room for something, _anything_, that could work. The more he looked, the more hopeless he became. Not only was the machinery advanced, but Ken seemed to take serious precautions about keeping anything that can be used against him out of the room.

That left only one option: Blowing the whole room up. As much as he didn't want to, he couldn't think of anything better. He respected machines too much to destroy them, even his old laptop that was severely outdated, but this machinery was probably better off being destroyed. But what was he going to use to accomplish that? There was nothing he could use.

Suddenly, it occurred to him. The answer was right in front of him this whole time.

"Of course!" he exclaimed, his face brightening.

He quickly got to work.

* * *

The battle was long and exhausting. What had been just a simple plan of subduing the Emperor enough to capture him turned into a long, dragged out battle that encompassed the entire ship. The Jedi were tired, the long walk and lack of good food taking a toll on their systems and slowing them in the fight. Despite their weakness, they pushed forward with the battle.

"Give up, Jedi," Ken taunted with a cackle as he ran down a hallway. "Admit it. You are not as strong as me."

Davis rumbled lowly in his throat before shouting back, "We may not be as powerful as you are, but we'll do everything we can to stop you!"

Ken laughed again. "I'd love to see you try."

The group followed Ken into a dimly-lit chamber. Torches lined the walls up to a large door at the end of the room. The chill the Jedi had felt the whole time in the ship grew colder. Whatever the presence was, this was where it felt strongest. It was close.

"Hey, where's Ken?" Yolei said.

It took the Jedi a moment to realize that their foe had disappeared. The chamber was so dark that they couldn't make anything out in the blackness. The big door loomed over them like an imposing monolith of impending doom.

"Be careful, guys," Tai advised as they all walked slowly forward. "Stay on your guard."

The crackling of the torch flames filled the deathly still room. It felt like the equivalent of being in a tomb that was sealed away for thousands of years. The Jedi quieted their breathing, heightening their awareness of their surroundings. Ken was close.

A low growl rumbled throughout the room. The dark presence was even closer than before.

"Guys!" Joe whimpered.

"Yeah, I feel it too," Matt replied, tightening his grip on his lightsaber. "It's here."

A familiar snicker, which sounded more demented every time they heard it, came near the far doors. Ken emerged from the darkness as the torch light lit up the left side of his face.

"Had enough yet, kiddies?" Ken taunted. "I'm ready to accept your surrender unconditionally."

"The only way we are coming out is if you are with us, Ken," Davis shot back. "You accuse us of hiding from you, but you are the one who always runs away from us."

Tai placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Davis, I don't think it's wise to insult him in our position," he whispered cautiously.

"You should listen to him more often, Davis," Ken added snidely. "It'll keep you alive."

"We've had enough of you, Ken," Cody said. "You think this is all just a big game, but you're messing with real lives here."

The Digimon Emperor glared at the small boy. "Shut your mouth, you little runt! This is none of your concern."

"Cody's right, Ken," Sora replied forcefully. "The Digital World is not just a place that exists in your computer. It's a completely real place with living creatures that are just as real as we are."

But Ken was having none of it.

"Shut up!" he screamed. "I will not listen to your lies any longer!"

"We aren't lying!" Mimi shouted. "Come down from your ivory tower for once and see all the destruction you've caused. You say you want peace, freedom, justice, and security, but all you've brought to the Digital World is fear and destruction. You're no emperor, Ken. You're a tyrant!"

The Jedi grimaced, thinking that Ken would surely want to slaughter them after that. But the look of pure anger on his face had vanished. A smirk curled up his lip, followed by a light snicker.

"Why so serious?" he hissed. "It's all a game anyway."

_BOOM! _

A loud explosion tore through the entire base. The ground moved in every direction, sending things toppling to the ground. The Jedi and Ken held their arms out to keep their balance. Cody lost his and landed on his bottom. Alarms went off as an electronic voice said,

"_Warning! Warning! Loss of engine power! Warning! Warning! Loss of engine power!" _

The Jedi smiled. There was only one explanation for why the engines had suddenly lost power.

"Izzy did it!" Tai exclaimed. "The engines have been disabled!"

_Clap, clap, clap. _

They all turned and saw Ken clapping sarcastically at them.

"Well done," he sneered. "A very ingenious computer nerd that Izumi is. I must say I am impressed that he managed to figure it out this quickly."

Matt pointed his saber towards Ken as the rest of the Jedi surrounded him. "It's over, Ken. There's nowhere for you to run anymore with your engines destroyed. You've got no other options."

Despite his situation, Ken started to laugh. The depth of insanity in it shocked the Jedi to the core as it grew in volume. His laughter filled the room.

"That's what you think," he gasped between laughs. "You insects are more foolish than I thought. Why do you think I disappeared all these weeks?" He then turned towards the large set of doors. "I was waiting until I destroyed you all to unleash my creation upon the Digital World, but since you are such an annoying thorn in my side, I'll let you have a first glance at what ultimate power feels like."

Ken started to speak in a strange tongue that none of the Jedi could understand. It wasn't Japanese, Latin, or any language they knew of. It was something that sounded like it predated all of those languages.

Once Ken finished speaking, the doors reacted and slowly started to open. Low hisses and growls could be heard from behind them. The Jedi pointed their sabers up to defend themselves from whatever came out. Even so, this did not dilute their rising terror.

Ken snickered lowly. "Prepare, Destined Jedi," he proclaimed. "For you are about to experience the most powerful force that has ever existed. The thing that will cement my rule. I present to you…"

A dark silhouette could be made out from the darkness as footsteps boomed forward. It got clearer the closer it got until it finally stepped out into the torch light. The Jedi gasped in awe and horror at what they saw.

"KIMERAMON!"

The beast was a sight to behold. It looked something straight out of a nightmare with its mix-and-match body parts that were taken from different Digimon. Its body was an orange Tyrannosaurus Rex with wolf legs, and a long tail behind it. A helmet that ended in a long, sharp horn covered its head, and its four arms were different. Two were long and gangly with sharp claws at the end, the Jedi recognized them as belonging to Devimon. The right arm was skeletal tipped with sharp claws at the end, and the left was insect-like. On its back were two pairs of wings: One that looked like angel wings, and the other was a pair of dragon wings.

"Wh-What is that thing?" Mimi squeaked with wide eyes.

Kimeramon locked its sights directly on the Jedi. It stared at them blankly for a moment until Ken said something in the strange language.

"There's no use in trying to reason with him, Destined Jedi," he taunted. "He only obeys me. Destroy them, Kimeramon!"

The creature obeyed and let out a roar, a deafening sound that filled the entire chamber. Kimeramon opened its mouth. Hot, green fire built up in the back of its throat before it shot the flames out with a cry of "HEAT VIPER!"

The Jedi jumped away to avoid the flames, but the heat and intensity was so scorching that it made the entire room feel like a sauna. There was no escaping the attack anywhere they went.

Davis stared at the monstrosity in a mixture of awe and horror.

"We are in huge…trouble," he breathed.

* * *

**Boy, ain't that the truth. Now that Ken has unleashed his supreme weapon, how will the Jedi handle it? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**As you guys saw, there was a lot of _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets _influence on this chapter. Unlike in the series, I wanted to hold off on revealing Kimeramon to the world to make it that much more terrifying. The information on the JASDF's aircraft engines was completely made up, just so we have that out of the way. **

**The song in the beginning was the OP for _My Neighbor Totoro_, which I do not own at all. Studio Ghibli does. **

**You will not want to miss the next chapter, so subscribe if you have not. Also leave a review like always. Next week is the chapter you guys have been waiting six months for. I know I have. See you then ;-) **


	24. The Emperor's Fall

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: I know. What are they going to do? **

**Music Chick: Speechless, eh? Glad you liked it. **

**Guest: You'll find out here :) **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: As we talked about over PM, we are not done just yet ;-) Thanks as always for your thoughts. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: You know it. But you discount the period prior before I brought him back. He was going down the drain at a fast rate. The events of last chapter just sped it along.**

* * *

**Here we are, guys. The chapter you guys have been waiting for is finally here! I'm not going to say too much because I want the action to speak for itself. I also have a surprise for you guys at the end. Stay tuned for it.**

**Warning: There will be some graphic descriptions of injuries. Viewer discretion is advised. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"RUN!" Tai screamed as the Jedi ran down the staircase. "RUN!"

Behind them, Ken's new creation called Kimeramon flapped its mighty wings as it followed them like a heat-seeking missile. Scorching green fire shot from its mouth every few seconds, but it missed every time. The Jedi's best chance was to escape the base while they could.

Above the scene, Ken watched as the monster went after the Jedi. What cowards, he thought. If only he had thought of creating Kimeramon sooner. This would have been way easier from the beginning.

"Go get them, Kimeramon!" he shouted, laughing in sadistic glee. "Do not stop until they are all nothing but smoldering ashes! Burn them all!"

The amalgamation obeyed and released another Heat Viper, which the Jedi quickly dodged. The fire burned through the mechanical walls, causing the ship to sway a little. Ken kept his balance, surprised by the motion.

"What's happening?" he wondered.

A wicked laugh echoed in his mind. His pupils shrank in fear. This was not Sam's laugh, but someone else's.

"Who are you?" he asked breathlessly. He tangled his hands in his hair. "Leave me alone!"

"_You didn't heed my warning, and now you will suffer the consequences of that," _the voice taunted. _"The powers of darkness will consume you, and your creation will not listen to you anymore. You think you're so powerful, but your feeble mind could not handle it." _

"Shut up!" Ken shouted. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

"_What's the matter? Afraid to admit I'm right?" _the voice cackled. _"Your arrogance blinds you, little boy. It will be your downfall." _

Ken growled. "You shut up! Kimeramon listens to me and me alone. I created him! He listens to me and only me! Once the Jedi are destroyed, I will be the sole ruler of this world."

An explosion rang out near the bottom. The base went dark as the electricity went out. Ken looked down in horror to see Kimeramon had destroyed the primary power source. He was frozen like a statue, shocked at what he was seeing.

Finally snapping out of his shocked state, Ken turned and ran.

* * *

Izzy went up the stairs to reunite with the other Jedi, feeling proud that he had completed his mission. Hopefully the others had captured the Emperor by now, and they could all go home.

He heard a mass of footsteps coming down towards him from above. His excitement peaked. A loud roar, one that sent shivers down his spine, could be overheard in addition to the footsteps.

Suddenly, the others came flying from behind the corner.

"Hey, guys," he greeted. Then he saw their faces. "What's going…on?"

"Izzy, run!" Tai cried, throwing his hand forward in a signal to run as the others ran past the Jedi of Knowledge. "Quit standing there! Run away!"

"From what?" Izzy asked as Tai grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

Kimeramon burst through a wall, locking its eyes on the Jedi. It flapped its wings to catch up with them. Izzy screamed, both awed and horrified at what he was seeing.

"That!" Tai answered, pumping his legs down the stairs. "We've got to get out of here! Lead it outside where we can have a chance!"

Matt looked behind him, and paused for a second without stopping. Something felt off. He looked around the herd of children, but found no trace of what he was looking for.

"Where's TK?" he shouted.

"TK can handle himself, Matt! Just keep running!" Tai shouted back.

* * *

"Airdramon! Take off now! I wish to see my final victory!" Ken ordered the large dragon Digimon.

The Digimon, like so many before it, had no choice but to answer the call thanks to the Dark Ring around its neck. It carried its master on its back for a sweep over the wide desert. Ken watched the battle across from him with glee. So his base may have been lost, but that mattered little to the Emperor. After all, Kimeramon would seal the end of the Destined Jedi once and for all. They hadn't stopped his masterpiece yet and they were at the end of their rope: Weak, tired, their reserves mostly used up. They were nothing more than a rotting structure that needed its front door to be kicked for it to all come down.

Unbeknownst to Ken, while almost all of the base's intruders had fled back outside to deal with Kimeramon, one decided to follow him. TK wasn't about to let Ken escape once more in the event that the Digimon amalgamation was destroyed. He secretly snuck up and grabbed the tail of the Airdramon Ken was on as it took off.

TK slowly crawled up the tail of the creature when he unfortunately lost his grip. He quickly recovered before falling off to a steep drop, but was unable to stay silent. His slight yelp alerted the Emperor's attention.

Ken turned around to see his unwelcomed guest hanging on for dear life. It brought a sick smile to his face.

"I see you've planned on making it easy for me to eliminate you insects." He slowly walked along the dragon's back until he was only a step or two away from TK. He pulled out his whip at the speed of a snail with the purpose of whipping the blonde haired boy off. Ken raised his arm and whip up above his head. "Prepare to become one with the Force, TK Takaishi."

TK smirked at him. "Not on your life," he said, throwing his hand out and unleashing a Force push that blew Ken on his back. His infamous whip fell from his hand to be lost in the desert below.

Ken was suddenly sliding down the tail of Airdramon until he regained his grip. He was instantly met with a devastating right hook to the face. The punch was so hard it knocked his glasses off. They fell to the ground to join the whip in the desert sands.

The two boys soon devolved into nothing more than punching and kicking each other as they clung on to the controlled dragon far above the heavy fighting that was below them.

"You can't stop me! My destiny will not be stopped!" Ken proclaimed.

TK smirked as he threw another punch. "Sorry. Fate's got other plans."

"You insects have meddled in my affairs for the last time. Now it's time for you to be the first of them to fall!" Ken shouted as he unleashed a torrent of lighting at almost point-blank range.

TK sensed this was coming, however, and quickly activated his lightsaber. He successfully deflected the lightning, redirecting it right into the Dark Ring around Airdramon's neck. The ring shattered, freeing the violent Digimon from Ken's control. It squawked with distress, bucking and thrashing violently to throw the two boys off.

Both of them kept a solid grip as neither one fought each other, trying to keep both hands on instead. When it couldn't shake them off, Airdramon dived violently close to the dunes before flipping itself upside down. This was too much for both boys. Ken let go and fell to the sand before TK himself did too.

TK hit the dune and rolled down it, kicking up sand and dust as he rolled. He soon came to a dead stop flat on his face. After spitting out sand from his mouth, he turned over onto his back. Ken dove onto him before he could even react. The Emperor put both his hands around his neck and strangled him.

"Be a good little Jedi and die," Ken said in the most menacing voice that anyone probably heard him speak. A sadistic sneer was etched on his face as he put all his strength into his hands.

The grip was proving too much for TK; things were slowly dimming as air was no longer getting into his system. Despite his eyes flickering, he looked over and found his lightsaber sticking out of the sand. He only had one chance.

TK raised his leg up and hit Ken right in the groin with his knee, forcing the self-proclaimed 'ruler of the Digital World' to let go of him. TK coughed to get air back into his lungs and waited for the world to stop spinning. Ken squeezed him so hard that if he hadn't done anything, he would have asphyxiated quickly.

He slowly rolled back to his feet and recalled his lightsaber back to his hand. Ken groaned in pain on the sand with his hands between his legs. The blonde stumbled a little as he struggled to regain his bearings.

"What's the matter, Ken?" TK sneered, rubbing his throat. "I thought you were a black belt."

"Shut up! I've had enough of all of you!" Ken roared as he slowly stumbled to his feet. He called up his lightsaber and the two of them activated their bright blue sabers. They stared each other down for a few seconds.

The Emperor struck first, delivering a wild swing that was completely out of control. TK blocked it, and they traded a few more strikes before their sabers locked together.

"Ken, look around. Your whole reign is falling apart," said TK through gritted teeth as he used all of his strength to push back against the Emperor. "Your prized monster has turned against you and is destroying everything."

"More of these lies?" Ken roared as his rage began to burn like an inferno. His eyes squinted in order to keep the sparks from their sabers out of them. "Kimeramon is loyal to me and will destroy all of you! Look, he's doing exactly as I say with your friends."

TK looked in the distance and saw that the others were greatly struggling with the hellish monster. He could've sworn that something looked different about Tai and Davis though. Cody was badly injured, and Joe was giving him care; Matt and a few others were taken out with one swipe of Kimeramon's tail.

"I'll even prove to you his loyalty is second to none," Ken said with a smirk before fiercely shouting, "KIMERAMON! I ORDER YOU TO DESTROY THIS INSECT BEFORE ME!"

Kimeramon briefly ignored the Jedi it was battling to look towards its creator and the lone Jedi with him. Ken's smile grew wider.

It opened its mouth and began charging its Heat Viper attack, aiming towards the two of them. TK could already tell what was going to happen.

"Ken! Run!"

The blonde-haired boy broke their lock and ran while Ken stood his ground. The attack was launched. It was only until it was a bit closer to him that he realized that TK's advice was actually sound.

He quickly used the Force to increase his speed and get him away from being vaporized by the attack, but not too far that he completely avoided it. Both boys were blown forward and crashed into another dune.

* * *

'_What do we do?' _Tai wondered as Kimeramon used its skeletal arm to swipe Cody away, sending him crashing into a dune. Matt and Izzy covered for Joe as he made his way over to the boy to check on him. Yolei was barely holding her own as another Heat Viper came careening towards her.

"Yolei!" Sora cried as the attack was mere inches from the younger girl.

Yolei jumped away just in the nick of time but the power from the attack making contact with the ground blew her, Mimi, and Kari a few feet away. Matt, Izzy, and Sora fell next as Kimeramon sent them flying away with one giant swipe of its tail.

"Tai!" Davis cried, parrying one of Kimeramon's arms as it reached for him. He managed to slice off the hand, but another one of its arms came forward. "Help!"

Tai ran over to the younger boy just in time to slice off the other arm that approached him. Davis seemed okay, just shaken up from the experience. The two of them were all that was left to take down the amalgamation.

"KIMERAMON! I ORDER YOU TO DESTROY THIS INSECT BEFORE ME!" they heard Ken yell at Kimeramon. The huge beast suddenly took its attention off of the two Jedi and looked over at TK and Ken. TK took off running, but Ken stayed completely still as a Heat Viper charged up. Once it was released, he ran, but the blast sent him flying.

With Kimeramon distracted, Tai and Davis knew what they had to do. It was now up to them to finish the job.

"Davis," Tai said slowly, tightening his grip on the saber in his hand. "Let's take this monster down."

"Heard that," Davis nodded, raising his own saber in preparation to attack.

In a flash of blue light, the two Jedi used their speed to circle Kimeramon. A cloud of dust flew up into the air as Davis moved at the speed of sound, while Tai ran as fast as he could. The abomination couldn't get a lock on either one of them to launch an attack. It just hovered over the sandy landscape, unsure of what to do next.

"Now!" Tai shouted as he and Davis broke formation and leapt towards the creature at the same exact moment.

Kimeramon was initially surprised by the attack, but recovered in time to ward it off. It swiped Tai across the chest with one of its remaining arms to send him away. In doing so, it neglected Davis as the boy plunged his lightsaber deep into the creature's chest.

Kimeramon screamed out in its death throes as Davis retracted the blade and jumped down to the soft sand below. He fell back once he hit the ground and watched in fascination. The creature flew around aimlessly for several seconds as it continued to cry out before falling to the ground, sending up a cloud of sand.

Kimeramon had been defeated.

Davis heard Tai groan as the desert grew silent. He rushed to where the former leader of the Destined Jedi lay on the ground. His lightsaber was a couple of inches away from him after it fell out of his hand. The front of his yukata had been slashed vertically above the obi, along with parts of his tunic.

"Tai, are you okay?"

The brown haired boy nodded as he sat up with a grunt. "I'm fine," he replied. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," Davis replied as he turned to gaze at the fallen Digimon. A smile played on the corners of his mouth. "I can't believe we actually did it."

Tai chuckled. "Yeah, we did."

As the large beast lay dead on the ground and started to disintegrate into data, Tai and Davis slowly walked up to the monster and spat on the corpse.

* * *

Some moments before the Destined Jedi's victory over Kimeramon, TK slowly pushed himself up off of the ground as the dust from the massive attack finally settled. He did a quick check of himself. Small cuts covered his body and parts of him felt sore, meaning he was probably bruised in those areas. Aside from that, he wasn't hurt badly.

He saw Ken stand up through the dust, looking even worse than him due to being closer to the explosion. The boy's messy hair was tossed in all directions with his bangs hanging over his eyes. His right leg had a slight limp to it after landing awkwardly to dodge the attack.

"See what I said, Ken?"

Ken said nothing. He only stared at TK with a blank look on his face. The attack was too much for him as he finally snapped. His face twisted into one of pure, uncontrollable rage as he roared at TK. He used the Force to charge at the blonde with his lightsaber pointed straight ahead like a bayonet. The Jedi of Hope coolly deflected the charge but Ken swung back again, and again, and again.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" Ken screamed with each strike. It would've been much, but at this point, there was no form to his attack. It certainly wasn't his normal Juyo as he swung the blade like he was trying to break a piñata.

TK simply deflected and defended each strike. It was even easier than when he was still a novice with the blade and killed Devimon and Piedmon. The time had come for him to finish this fight. And he was more than ready to do it.

He dropped to the ground to avoid another swing before switching his saber to his other hand. Using his now-armed left hand, he held a strike that Ken sent, allowing his free right hand to deliver a punch that landed hard in the dark-haired boy's gut.

With the Emperor stunned, TK saw his chance and did a 360 spin that swung towards Ken's blade. He sliced through the metal object like a hot knife through butter, and his saber continued towards Ken's face.

"YAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" The sound echoed across the desert as Ken screamed in agony from the lightsaber blade burning his flesh. He covered his face and fell to the ground, writhing on the sand in unbearable pain. Breathing sharply, but heavily, he pulled his hand off and glared at TK with undeniable rage in his eyes.

TK was shocked at the damage he had done. A long, red slash went across Ken's face. It started on the right half of his jaw before sliding up in a perfect vertical line. The slash ran across his cheek and over his right eye until it ended above the eyebrow. The cut was so deep that TK swore he could see bone under all the blood and ragged flesh on the right side of Ken's face. He nearly threw up. For a brief moment, he was reminded of the time Tai scarred Matt all those years ago but this was by his own doing.

Despite the agonizing pain on the right side of his face, Ken swung once more, only to find he was swinging at air. His good eye widened. The lightsaber was now deactivated. In fact, it had been sliced in half, and completely useless.

There was a massive explosion off in the distance. Both of them turned and saw Kimeramon now lying on the ground and beginning to disintegrate into data. TK held his blade close to Ken's neck, indicating he had won their short duel.

"Checkmate, your highness," he sneered.

Ken was utterly shocked. His grand prize, his key to destroying his enemies, his hard work, Kimeramon, had been wiped out. Not only that, but his lightsaber was destroyed and he was now at the mercy of the Destined Jedi. All of his hate and rage suddenly vanished as his exhaustion and wounds finally caught up with him.

Ken stumbled backwards onto the sand. TK fell to his knees right beside him as his adrenaline left him too.

"How? How? How could I lose?" Ken muttered in disbelief.

"It's over, Ken. Your reign is through."

"How could I lose!? I'm superior to you insects in every way! How could I have been beaten?!" The anger flowed back into Ken once again, even if he was almost too tired to move his limbs. "You cheated! You must have cheated! It's the only way!"

"Cheated?" TK questioned as the rest of the Destined Jedi managed to find the two of them. He could see they looked worse for wear: Many cuts and bruises, and some of the others looked even worse than that.

Cody had a large gash on his forehead that Joe was trying to patch up. His face was dripping in blood. Cody closed his eyes so the red liquid wouldn't get into them as it continued oozing from the wound. Tai had a large scratch on his chest underneath his tattered yukata and tunic, and Davis looked like he was about to pass out due to having used so much energy to destroy Kimeramon. Everyone else was slowly recovering from being blasted by several Heat Vipers.

"What do you mean by '_cheated'_?" TK looked back to Ken.

"Cheated!" Ken roared. Like a cornered animal, he was refusing to go down without a fight. "You all couldn't defeat me fairly, so you had to cheat to do it! Well, enjoy your little victory while you can because I'm going to right this wrong by resetting the Digital World! Resetting it and making sure that I win this time!"

Everyone gasped in shock at his words.

"Resetting the Digital World?" Kari said breathlessly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Matt demanded, his disdain for Ken coming out in his voice as he glared at him. His fingers grazed along the scar over his right eye while looking at the laceration on the boy's face. It was eerily similar.

"It's quite simple. I'll go back home and delete all the Digital World data off my computer and create a new program: A new Digital World. A new Digital World that doesn't cheat. A new Digital World that doesn't have you."

Matt had just about heard enough. He took one step towards the fallen emperor, his fingers itching to ignite his lightsaber and silence him for good. Tai grabbed his arm and shook his head with disapproval. The blonde glared at him for a second, then backed off reluctantly.

"Ken, what do you mean?" Mimi wondered, her light brown eyes barring deeply into him. She was covered in sand, bruises, and her green yukata was ruined. "Do you mean to say that this is all a game to you?"

"Of course! This is nothing but a game, right? Nothing that happens has any implications in the real world. Here, there are no rules or morals to slow me down in my quest to dominate. If it hadn't been for you stupid Destined Jedi, the entire Digital World would be under my control."

Everyone's blood ran cold, especially Tai's. He said almost the same thing when Myotismon nearly killed him during his and the older Jedi's first encounter with the evil Digimon. Suddenly, all of the hate that the Destined Jedi had for Ken vanished and was replaced with empathy. The poor fool really believed it all to be a game.

"You're wrong, Ken," said Tai. "I once thought the same thing, but thankfully I came to my senses before I did something really stupid. Look at yourself. Why is it that you feel weak all of a sudden? That's your own body telling you it's on fumes."

"Judging from the looks of you, Ken, it looks like you've had little sleep, almost nothing to eat, and haven't had anything to drink for quite some time," Joe said as he gave his diagnosis. "I'm surprised you're still functioning right now."

He was right. Ken was so gaunt that the group could almost see his ribs sticking out of his suit while dark bags under his eyes made them appear droopy. The tenacious fire that had burned in them was now gone, replaced by an empty look that showed how tired he was. Ken must have not slept in weeks.

"We've tried to tell you for some time, Ken, but you always ignored us." Sora said. The front of her dark red yukata and her auburn hair were covered in sand. A small scratch graced her cheek from where she got clipped by Kimeramon. "You thought we were trying to trick you."

"Think carefully, Ken," said Cody. His head was now wrapped in bandages to cover his wound and his face was cleaned of any blood. "Remember when you played Davis in the soccer game and he gave you the scratch on your leg that day?"

"That's right!" Yolei remembered. "That came with you into the Digital World. This whole place is real!"

"And that goes the same with all of the Digimon that you have been enslaving for almost a year now," Izzy added, his hair decorated with sand. "They're real living creatures just like us."

"What?" Ken said slowly as his eyes widened in realization. "That's right! The game, I carried the scratch with me here. All the times I've slept, drank, ate… It's all real."

After so long, he finally came to realize that everything had been real.

And it completely broke him.

"Oh gods! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" he screamed once more, unleashing his pained cries to the heavens for several moments. His clothes disintegrated before the group's very eyes until he was left in a plain black yukata with a dark tunic underneath. His dark hair fell down to its natural length.

"I had no idea what I was doing was actually causing harm! I thought my Dark Rings were a stroke of genius, but all I was doing was causing pain and suffering on an unimaginable scale! I'm a monster!" Ken sobbed as he buried his face into the sandy ground.

"I came here to escape from the misery of the world, only to be the one bringing it," he whimpered almost unintelligibly. "My powers are nothing but destruction for all. First, I accidently kill my brother, and now this. I can't… I can't…"

Several quiet sobs filled the air around him. His next words shocked the group to the core as he took a shaky breath. "Please. Just kill me now," he whimpered. "It's what I deserve."

"WHAT?!" the others shouted. Their plan was merely to stop Ken and put an end to the war they had been fighting since April. It was certainly not to kill him. While it may have crossed their minds at one time or another, the state he was in now made it impossible to feel that way.

"I'd rather just die," Ken begged with tears dripping down his face. "The world would be a better place without me. Please, just kill me. You'd be ending my suffering."

For a moment, the Jedi all stared dumbfounded at him. None of them knew what to do.

"I say that we leave him here." Matt suggested coldly.

The others gasped at his cold-heartedness.

"What the-! Matt, how can you say that?" Sora argued, stunned he would ever suggest such a thing.

"Look, none of us will run a saber through him. Not like this. But let's respect his wish and leave him to die here. Let the desert kill him."

"Matt, if we do that, then we have proven that we're no better than him," Tai said. "As I said before, he's not the first one to think none of this was real."

"But you didn't try to take over the Digital World! You didn't try to enslave all that live here!" Matt shot back, his face merely inches from Tai's.

"Don't you dare get in my face again, Matt!" Tai roared, pushing back against the blonde. "I swear to God! Don't get in my face like that again!"

"Hey, guys. Come on! Break it up." Davis got in-between them to keep the situation from escalating. "Matt, what about his parents? You know, the ones that have been trying to find him this whole time? Are we just going to let them suffer when they have a chance to see their son again?"

He actually brought up a good point for once. At that moment, everyone remembered watching the Ichijoujis' televised plea for Ken to come home only three days ago. Mrs. Ichijouji was crying inconsolably while Ken's father was trying to hold back tears of his own. It tore them all apart at how broken hearted his parents were. If they went through with this, they would be permanently separating Ken from them.

But Matt still refused to give up his argument. "If we do that, how do we know he won't come back and start again?" he pressed.

"You heard him, Matt," Kari said, trying to reason with the older blonde. "He's clearly come to realize what he's done, and it has broken him."

"I doubt he'd do this all again," added Cody. "At least on his own free will."

"Y-Yeah, but–" Matt was cut off by TK wrapping an arm around his shoulder. The younger blonde looked at his brother with pleading eyes.

"Matt, let go of your anger," he said. "He doesn't deserve it now."

Matt sighed, apologizing as his anger towards Ken evaporated. "You're right, everyone. I'm sorry. I let my anger towards him influence my decisions. He doesn't deserve it."

Tai approached him with his hand outstretched.

"Are we cool, Matt?" he asked.

The blonde nodded, smiling at his friend. "Yeah, we're cool," he said before the two bro-hugged. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," Tai patted him on the shoulder.

"Mom… Dad…" The others heard a muttering below them. Ken was on his stomach, crawling forward with one hand pulling him while the rest of his body looked unresponsive. His head was up a few inches off the ground. He pulled himself a foot before his face met the sand. He stopped moving.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Mimi screamed, afraid that the boy may have spared them the trouble and died in front of them.

Joe immediately sprang into action and rushed forward to check on the boy. He carefully turned Ken onto his back so he wasn't inhaling sand into his mouth before beginning his examination. Joe monitored Ken's vital signs and checked every single inch of his body for any clue to what happened.

"Is he–?" Mimi couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. She didn't have to wait long for an answer though as Joe completed his analysis.

"No, he's not," he announced to everyone's relief. "He's unconscious, but he's alive for now. Like I said before, all the neglect to his body finally caught up with him. We need to get him to a hospital as soon as possible, especially before that cut gets infected, or it might be too late!"

Everyone quickly looked to Tai for his final decision. He was in deep thought as his eyes refused to tear away from the sight of Ken lying down on the sand. He had to make a decision fast, or else Ken would surely die before they could get him medical treatment. The boy's fate was in his hands.

"Tai, what are we doing?" Izzy questioned with a nudge.

Tai finally nodded his head, saying, "Let's send him home to his family. It's the least we can do. They'll take good care of him."

A few of the kids nodded their heads. Others were conflicted. Ken had done so many horrible things to not just Digimon, but the Jedi as well. Those that were conflicted felt he was undeserving of this act of mercy from them. In the end, they decided to go along with the plan. Tai was right; if they let Ken die, then they were no better than he was.

"I guess that settles it then," Matt said as he drifted over to Ken's unconscious body. "Tai, Joe, help me lift him up."

After a count of three, the three of them lifted him over their shoulders like bearers in a funeral service. Ken seemed to weigh more as he hung limply over them, making it harder to carry him.

Joe caught a glimpse of Ken's wrist and saw a bit of black peeking out from his sleeve. His eyes widened. Could it be?

"Hey, guys," he said. "You should get a look at this."

The group halted in their tracks and gathered around to get a look at Ken's wrist. They gasped in disbelief when they saw it. The tattoo was mostly black, done in the shape of a rosebud. On the outer border, they saw pink start to settle in where black once was.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sora gasped, her eyes wide in amazement.

Izzy looked at it closely and nodded. There was no doubt about it.

"Yes," he said. "Ken is the Destined Jedi that was rejected by Homeostasis."

"Well, let's get a move on then!" Davis exclaimed. "He's one of us now. We have to save his life."

The Destined Jedi made a break towards the ruined base and took him to the control room, where a Digiport lay available for them to use.

TK stepped forward and concentrated on using the Force to open the gate. Once it opened, the older boys dropped to their knees and bent over to let Ken slip down their shoulders. The gate consumed him, sending him back to the real world, before closing.

"Think he'll be okay?" Cody asked as the group stared at the now-closed gate for several moments.

Tai nodded. "Yeah, he'll be fine. He's in good hands now. Let's go home, everyone."

Channeling a powerful amount of Force energy, the younger Destined Jedi managed to create a portal of their own. Without a second to lose, the group walked through it to go back to the campsite, their mission finally complete.

On August 7th, 2002 at 3:09 p.m., Japan Standard Time, on a warm afternoon, the Digimon Emperor's reign of terror, at long last, came to an end.

* * *

**That's it. Ken's reign is over. What will the Jedi do next now that their greatest enemy has been defeated? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Hope that lived up to your guys' expectations. Ackbarfan5556 and I wrote this whole chapter a little under two years ago with just adding a few things here and there at the beginning.**

**Now with the special announcement: Because I wanted to focus on the action exclusively in this chapter, I decided to split the aftermath into its own chapter...which I will release tomorrow! That's right. You guys get a double hit this weekend, so stay tuned for the next chapter tomorrow. **

**Leave a review and make sure to subscribe if you have not already. Be on the lookout for the chapter tomorrow. I'll just go ahead and say now that I'll see you guys next weekend because I won't add any A/Ns for the chapter tomorrow. **


	25. Red Dawn

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. _

The sound echoed through the Ichijouji apartment, sounding like the toll of a death bell with every strike. Bright rays of sunshine burst through the open windows to make the living room brighter than normal. The brightness coming from the outside did nothing to chase away the dark cloud that hovered over the entire apartment.

It always felt like a melancholy mood hung over the Ichijouji residence since the oldest son, Sam, died two years ago after falling from the balcony. No one knew the reason for the accident, but bystanders reported seeing a large cluster of lightning bolts shoot out from the window. The next moment, Sam was on the ground dead. He was dead the minute he hit the ground. The doctors couldn't do anything to save him. His death devastated his entire family, and they still had not recovered from it even now.

Now with Ken's disappearance, Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji felt like their entire world was crumbling around them.

Mrs. Ichijouji silently sat at the kitchen table, her eyes drifted downward towards the tablecloth. Her husband was in his office across the hallway working. It had been almost three months since Ken ran away, and there was still no trace of him anywhere. Almost all of Tokyo was on the lookout, but no one could find a hint of him. Why?

Why.

She had asked herself that question many times lately, but still found no answers to any of them. Why had her son ran away? Was it something she and her husband did? Were they too hard on him? Did they show him enough love? It didn't make sense to her as tears began to streak down her face.

"My baby," she sniffled. "Where'd you go? I hope you're alright."

Wiping the tears from her face, Mrs. Ichijouji stood up and slowly walked down the hall towards Ken's bedroom door at the end. Every day for the past three months, she would check to see if he had come back, no matter how many times she came up empty. Her husband thought she was insane doing this every day, but she needed to do it. It gave her a routine, and gave her hope that one day her son would reappear in that bedroom alive and well.

She reached the door and opened it ever so slightly. The door creaked.

Mrs. Ichijouji shrieked.

Her husband burst out of the office with a loud bang as he rushed to see what was wrong.

"Honey, what happened?" he demanded, catching his wife before she could hit the floor.

Mrs. Ichijouji pointed a shaking finger inside Ken's bedroom, too stunned to say anything. Her face was pale and frightened like she had seen a ghost. Mr. Ichijouji followed her finger before becoming speechless himself.

Lying on the floor, highlighted by the sunlight flooding into the room from the sliding doors' glass windows, was a figure lying still on its back. It had long dark hair and was sleeping peacefully.

Their son had come home!

"Ken!" they both cried, bolting into the room.

Mrs. Ichijouji fiercely hugged Ken on instinct as she held him close. Tears poured down in buckets from joy instead of sadness as she was so happy to have her son back home. She let go to get a good look at him. When she looked at his face, she screamed again in horror.

A long, jagged red gash went straight from Ken's eyebrow down to his jaw. The entire side of his face had swelled and was starting to turn purple. White puss and plasma from the laceration oozed down his face. Mrs. Ichijouji nearly threw up when she saw a bone under his slashed flesh be exposed, but she kept her nerve. With a shaking finger, she inched forward to touch the still-fresh mark. Ken did not even groan or flinch as she traced her finger along it.

'_Who did this to you, sweetheart?' _she thought, unable to tear her eyes away from the grotesque image. Some of the puss, plasma, and Ken's blood stuck to her finger after she finished tracing the cut. She wiped it on her skirt, now really feeling sick to her stomach.

Mrs. Ichijouji nudged her son's shoulder to try and wake him. Maybe he remembered who did this to him, then she and her husband could contact the authorities to have them arrested.

"Ken?"

Ken didn't move. He continued to lay motionless on the floor. Not even a groan escaped his lips.

His mother tried again, but the same thing happened. "Ken, wake up," she begged, praying that this wasn't real. She did not want to believe that her other child had died too. "Please!"

Mr. Ichijouji looked down at the scene and saw the extent of his son's condition. The boy was so unhealthily thin that his ribs stuck out of his shirt. His face had sunken so much that the cheekbone that wasn't exposed could be seen too. Ken looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days, if not weeks. He remembered seeing pictures of the Holocaust in school, and the Jews looked just like that.

"Ken, please wake up!" the man pleaded as he moved in to check Ken's vitals. He silently counted to ten as he felt for a pulse and listened for breathing.

Once the ten seconds were up, Mr. Ichijouji sighed with relief. Ken was still alive. His pulse was faint, but just enough to be felt by his fingers. This was not a sleep that he could just wake up from in an instant.

Mr. Ichijouji turned to his wife. "We have to get him to the hospital," he urgently said. "Quickly!"

* * *

"Hi, Mr. Ishida!"

The man turned at the call of his name, and was surprised by what he saw. The girl that they had left on the corner back in Odaiba was running towards him. What was her name again? It was that girl that Matt had gone out with a couple of times before, but he couldn't remember it.

"Oh, hello there," Mr. Ishida said once the girl reached his table. Nancy and Rumiko also glanced at the newcomer.

"It seems silly, but you guys accidentally left me on the corner back in Odaiba," Jun said, completely oblivious to their expressions.

Mr. Ishida chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry. It happens."

"Didn't look like it to me, Hiro," Rumiko said. The man gave her a look that begged for her to be quiet.

Jun continued on. "It took me a while to get here; I wound up missing the bus, had to barter a few rides, and then I ended up at the wrong place. In the end, here I am."

"Do your parents know you're here?" Ms. Takaishi asked.

"No, but they won't care. I haven't gotten a single call from them asking where I am. Speaking of which, where are Matt and the others?"

Mr. Ishida started sweating. "Uh, they went off to the woods this morning," he replied nervously. "I'll see if I can go find them for you. You three ladies stay here and gossip until I get back."

He took off into the woods without another word, leaving his ex-wife and girlfriend to try and entertain Jun. They both fumed at him for leaving them on the spot.

'_Blast it! Kids, where are you?' _he thought, moving through the forest urgently. No wonder Matt begged him to leave her there. That girl was nuts.

A few yards ahead of him, a purple slash appeared in the air and opened into a portal. The children all appeared in the blink of an eye, each looking different than they did before. Cody had bandages wrapped around his head, and Tai had a scratch on his chest. Yolei limped slightly on her right leg.

"Hey, Dad," Matt greeted.

His father looked at them all in shock. "What happened to you guys? Did you get in a fight with a bear or something?" he breathed.

"I wish I could say that," TK muttered before answering aloud, "We finished our mission. The Digimon Emperor has been defeated."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Mr. Ishida's face turned serious again. "We've got an even bigger problem on our hands."

"What is it, Dad?" Matt asked, not liking the look on his father's face.

"I'm gonna warn you now, Matt. You're not gonna like it." Mr. Ishida looked at the group's injuries once again. "Might want to take care of those real quick so you don't cause a panic."

Yolei nodded. "I'm on it, sir," she said. The red light of her tattoo glowed subtly as she pressed her hand to her leg. After a few moments, the pain went away. Yolei then moved on to Cody, Tai, and Sora to heal their injuries.

With the children now taken care of, Mr. Ishida led them back to camp, where the three females were chatting. Jun instantly shot up from the picnic table at the sight of the older blonde.

"Matt!" she squealed happily and made a beeline for him.

Matt screamed and ran back towards the woods. His father grabbed the collar of his shirt before he got too far.

"Not so fast, Matt," Mr. Ishida hissed, even as Matt continued to pull against his grip. "You're fixing this."

Jun wrapped the blonde into a tight hug, swinging him around in a circle. He thrashed like a fish on land to escape her grip, but it was like iron. She was not letting go.

"Will you please let go of me?!" he shrieked.

Jun planted him down on the ground. Matt felt like his whole world was spinning out of control, both figuratively and literally. He still was trying to wrap his mind around the fact Jun was really here.

"Did you miss me, lover boy?" she teased.

"H-H-H-H-How did you get here?!" he stuttered. His friends snickered and tried to contain their giggles.

"This nice man volunteered to drive me here," Jun replied. "I question his fashion, but then again, if you like wearing a hippy shirt with a star on it and slippers, that's your problem. I still had to take a train, but he gave me some money for it."

"Great," Matt grimaced. As if Jun couldn't get any crazier.

"Don't worry, Matty!" she said as she hugged him again, cracking his back. "I told him that if he touched me I would take him out with one punch, then my boyfriend would finish the job." Jun battered her eyes and clasped her hands under her chin. "Wanna take a guess who that is?"

"Nick Carter?" Matt asked with a weak smile.

Jun giggled. "I wish." She wrapped her arms around his free one this time. "It's you, silly!"

Matt cringed and tried to pull away in a panic unsuccessfully. "Like hell it is! Get off of me!"

"You will be soon! You'll see!"

The rest of the Jedi could not help but feel sorry for Matt. As entertaining as it was to watch, they wanted no part in it. The rest of the older kids went off to pack up their belongings while the adults prepared the cars.

True to his promise, Joe put his belongings in Ms. Takaishi's car to ride back with her, Yolei, Sora, and Mimi. He did not want a repeat of the ride to the campsite. He was so far behind on studying that he needed some quiet time. The males and Kari, since there was no room for her in the girls' car, would ride back with Mr. Ishida and Rumiko.

As they were all set to leave, a cry stopped Mr. Ishida from starting the car.

"Hey, guys! Can I get a ride back with you?" Jun asked. "I don't want to take the bus all by myself."

Davis glared at her. "No way!" he said. "You got yourself up here, you're gonna get yourself out of here. Not my responsibility. Besides, we're all full."

"All full here," Ms. Takaishi said from her car. "I'm sorry."

Jun pouted. "That's not fair!"

Mr. Ishida looked over at Matt, who was waiting to get into the car.

"Matt, the least you can do is take her home," he said, handing him cash.

Matt's mouth dropped in horror. "Dad!"

Tai stuck his head out the window with a teasing smile. "Sorry, Matt, but there's no room in here for you. Have fun with your girlfriend."

Matt turned beet red. "I'm gonna kill you, Tai!"

"Be nice to her," his mother waved goodbye as she started the car.

"Surely, you still have some room in your car, Mom?" her son begged.

She giggled. "I'm sorry, honey, but I'm already full."

"Have fun, you two!" Izzy added salt to his wound.

"But not too much," TK snickered.

"Maybe just a little," Sora teased, using her thumb and index finger as a measurement as their car drove off.

Matt's eyes widened in panic. "It's not like that at all, Sora! I swear!" he called after the Jedi of Love. "I don't like her at all!"

Davis spoke up with a hint of seriousness from his seat in the middle row. "As much as this grosses me out, don't hurt her or I will find you."

He shut the door. Mr. Ishida started the car and drove off, leaving Matt completely helpless.

"Better go catch the bus," Jun teased, pulling his arm. "We don't wanna be late. You can touch me as much as you want, Matt. Don't worry."

One hand reached down and squeezed his butt suggestively. Matt squeaked in surprise, which Jun giggled at. This was the last straw for him. He hung his head in defeat.

"I'm in my personal hell," he groaned. "That's it. This is my seventh circle of hell."

* * *

"_This is a breaking news bulletin. Famous boy genius Ken Ichijouji was found today in his home after disappearing for three months," _the radio crackled. "_However, he has been transferred to the hospital and is in critical condition at this time with what is being described as 'malnutrition'. We will have more updates throughout the day as we follow this news story." _

"Oh my God," Rumiko breathed. "I hope he's okay."

Mr. Ishida glanced back at the kids in his rearview mirror. All of them were passed out asleep after a long and difficult battle. It took all of a mile before they finally collapsed. He smiled.

"I'm sure he'll be alright," he said. "For a case as big as this one, they'll make sure he gets the best care possible."

Rumiko reached for his hand and laid hers on top. A streak of blush went across Mr. Ishida's face. He had to admit, he had a great time with her these past couple of days. While he hated lying to her about the kids' whereabouts, it was for a good cause. Maybe someday he would tell her about their secret.

"Thanks for bringing me along," Rumiko said, giving the man a bright smile. "I had a great time."

"I'm glad you did. I'm sorry the kids weren't around much," he said, returning it with a smile of his own. "I'm happy that you decided to come along. You want to do something next week?"

The woman nodded. "I'd love to. A movie?"

"You name it, I'll buy."

"Okay."

Mr. Ishida returned his focus to the road and watched as the lake passed by to the side. Everything felt like it was beginning anew for not only the kids, but for him too. He looked in the rearview mirror again.

'_Sleep, guys,' _he thought. _'You deserve it.' _

Little did he know, TK was watching from one eye at their joined hands. Mixed thoughts went through his mind as sleep started to overtake him. It was not long before the other eye closed with a final thought of, '_It's over.'_

* * *

Far away from these events, in a darker part of the Odaiba district, a man broke from his meditative state on the floor. His dark black eyes fluttered open, revealing a discouraged look that quickly morphed into anger. The disturbance in the Force surrounding his apprentice was troubling. Now, after some deep concentration, he knew what it was.

"So," he said in a low voice that sounded like the hissing of a snake. "He has failed."

The man breathed slowly, but his exhales sounded like growls rumbling within his throat. This was something he had planned for though. Eventually, he knew his apprentice would falter. He brushed one side of his long black hair away from his face. His long, dark purple robe, which he wore with the hood pulled up to obscure his face, matched his cold and dark demeanor.

A door opened behind him.

"Master, have you felt it?" a female voice said. "Ken has fallen from us."

The man hissed. "Of course I felt it. I knew Ken would fail me at some point. His anger made him strong, but his pride always was his weakness. I should have known it would lead to his downfall."

The woman bit her lip, looking unsure behind her sunglasses. "So you don't care whether he dies or not?" she asked. "I've watched the news reports, and it doesn't look too good for him right now."

"His fate is no longer in my hands. If he dies, he dies."

The man closed his eyes again and concentrated on the moment Ken was defeated. The woman took this as her sign to leave and closed the door behind her, surrounding her master with darkness once again. In the man's mind, the other lightsaber cut through Ken's lightsaber and face in slow motion. He rested on TK's face, measuring every detail.

The man smirked. If he was powerful enough to defeat Ken Ichijouji, then this young Destined Jedi could prove to be even more powerful at his side. He felt TK's strength radiating from him, even from afar.

'_I must have him as my new apprentice.' _


	26. I'm Just One

**Reviews: **

**Since we had two chapters last week, I'll just respond to you guys all at once. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Thanks for all your help on that. We'll see where it goes next. **

**Music Chick: Or maybe someone we've already met :) Glad to know you enjoyed them and lived up to your expectations. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Glad to know you liked it. Always does, doesn't it? **

**GuardianAngel1234567: We'll see what happens. I absolutely think it should be a "YES" XD **

**Lord Jaric: Thank you for reviewing. You'll just have to keep reading to find out ;-) **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thanks for all your thoughts, and I am glad you enjoyed these two chapters. You are absolutely right about the morality of the chapter. Would I have spared Ken's life? After all he'd done to me and my friends, probably not, but that is just me. Whoever Jun is paired with may surprise you ;-) That's a story for a completely different day though. **

**Guest: Glad you think so. **

**Yagami Kuzuki: I understand your position, but at the end of the day, I've gotta do what I've gotta do. I've had a plan for a year and I'm sticking to it because I know in my heart it works. Thanks for taking the time to review and good luck to you too.**

**Special shout out to wendygon95 for the favorite and follow. **

* * *

**Hey, guys. Wow! I applaud you all for the amazing response to the last two chapters. That was a totally fun arc to write and I enjoyed every bit of it. Now we move into the second arc of the story. Unlike the series, I can promise you guys that this will not be a complete convoluted mess with different things happening all at the same time. This is going to be more straightforward. Hopefully you guys like it as much, but right now we see how Ken became the Digimon Emperor. Enjoy!**

* * *

"How is he, Doctor?" Mrs. Ichijouji demanded as soon as the doctor came out of Ken's room. She was desperate for any news on her son's condition, hoping he was just tired and needed rest.

The doctor sighed deeply. A middle-aged man in his forties with thinning black hair that was grey in some areas from stress and long days. He replied, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but your son's in a coma."

Both parents gasped in horror. A coma? They both knew how serious those were. Most people who went into comas rarely came out of them. Those that did were never quite the same again afterward. The thought that their son would be denied a chance at life was overwhelming to them.

"He's been through a lot," the doctor continued. "Borderline malnutrition, dehydration. If I had to make a guess, he hasn't slept in eleven days. It was only a matter of time before his body finally gave out. What happened to make him this way?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Ichijouji sniffled. Her husband hugged her before any sobs could break through.

Mr. Ichijouji decided to be the one to speak for them and said, "What about the…" he choked on his words because it was still unbelievable to him. "What about the slash on his face?"

"We managed to close it up and reduce the swelling before it could get infected," the doctor replied, "but it will leave a permanent scar. Ken also had some bumps and bruises, but those will heal with time. All we can do is hope for the best right now. I'm so sorry."

He walked away, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji to look at their son's resting form through the window. At first glance, it looked like he was only sleeping if it wasn't for all the equipment by his bed. The slash on his face was laced with stitches woven carefully over the sensitive skin of his cheeks. Life support machines beeped monotonously with each beat of his heart. The monitor also showed the beats per minute and his blood pressure. An IV bag hung beside the bed with the needle stuck into the pit of Ken's elbow, and an oxygen tube wrapped around his face and up his nose.

They both felt sick to their stomachs. This was just like when Sam had died only two years ago. Even though he died instantly from the fall, they still had him taken to the hospital. It did them no good, and they were forced to accept the reality that their child was dead. They had lost Sam, and now were afraid they would lose Ken too. If that happened, neither one of them knew what they would do.

Mrs. Ichijouji pressed her hand lightly against the glass. Her eyes never left her son. "Ken," she whispered. "Dad and I are here for you. We won't leave until you wake up. We love you so much."

* * *

Ken woke up with the strange sensation of floating, like he was whisked away on a cloud high into the sky. Was this the death that he so desperately craved? Was he finally at peace? If so, he was relieved. His face didn't hurt anymore. There was no more suffering. No more Jedi. No more societal pressure. Nothing else mattered anymore. Just a peaceful existence until the end of time.

He slowly opened his eyes with a flicker. A light shined brightly on his face. He squinted ever so slightly to keep the light from blinding him. Once his eyes adjusted, he opened them fully. The light started to fade away. This was strange, he thought. Wasn't heaven always a shining light? Where were the angels? He looked around. Ken was now standing on a balcony overlooking a busy street below. The buildings to the east were familiar, but his memories were a little dodgy at the moment. It had been so long since he had been in the human world that he had forgotten what some things looked like.

"_Here we are, Ken. All set." _

He turned around. His jaw dropped at what he was seeing. Younger versions of Ken and his older brother Sam stood behind the iron bars on their balcony. The younger Ken looked to be around four years old, while Sam was seven.

"_Thanks, Sam," _said young Ken as he took a cup from his brother. A straw hung from the rim of the cup. The small boy raised the straw to his lips and blew through it. From the end of the straw, bubbles started to appear. When Ken blew hard enough, the bubbles flew off in rapid succession. The two boys watched with awed smiles as the clear, circular blobs of water and soap retained their shape while flying off across the street.

"_Wow, those are huge!" _Sam exclaimed.

Ken stuck the cup out for his brother._ "Go on. You try." _

Sam waved it off with one motion of his hand._ "Nah, I'm not too good at it," _he said_. "I blow too hard and mine pop quickly. You, on the other hand, Ken, are gentle. That's why your bubbles are better than mine. The way you blow determines how big they are and how long they last." _

The older Ken could not help but smile at the scene. Now his memories started to come back. He and Sam were really close when they were kids. They'd always do things together, but blowing bubbles was one of their favorite pastimes. However, things changed when they got older.

"_How does it feel to be the mother of a genius?" _

"_Can you get me an autograph, please?" _

"_He'll be the one to bring world peace." _

"_He's going to change the world." _

Ken pressed his hands against his ears to block out the various comments that filled the void. Those were all the things the neighbors had to say about Sam. It was so nauseating that they were this invested in a boy that was barely in elementary school. But the worst part was how his mother reacted to all the praise. She let it all go straight to her head.

The scene changed to the living room, where Ken saw his mother talking with Sam while small Ken stood back completely ignored.

"_Sam, can you believe it? The neighbors came to me today and said what a wonderful boy you are," _Mrs. Ichijouji gushed excitedly.

"_Mama," _young Ken said, trying to get her attention but she ignored him and continued on her praise parade.

"_They're calling you the one that will bring prosperity to our world. It's amazing!" _Mrs. Ichijouji continued before turning to her youngest son_. "Oh, Ken. I'm sorry. Did you say something?" _

Young Ken looked down sadly_. "Never mind, Mama. It's not important," _he mumbled and went back to drawing his picture.

Older Ken felt sorry for the young fellow. It was hard being overshadowed when he was just as capable of being great as his older brother was. His parents so invested themselves into Sam that Ken felt like he never existed to them. He was the metaphorical red-haired stepchild that was ignored in every single way. There were days that Ken wished Sam was not his brother. He would do something amazing in his own right, like get an 'A' on his test or win an award at school, but his parents only gave a "Good job, Ken," whereas they slobbered over every little thing that Sam did. If only there was something he could do that Sam couldn't!

Then one day, fate seemed to smile upon him. The next scene showed Sam and Ken, now a few years older, in Sam's bedroom. Ken was on the floor drawing something while his brother sat at the computer. Suddenly, the computer flashed brightly. Both boys shielded their eyes with their arms. A small bit of yellow emerged from the screen and landed on the floor between them. The light from the computer went away and the boys uncovered their eyes. They looked down and were surprised at what they saw.

"_What is that?" _Ken asked.

"_I'm not sure, Kenny boy," _Sam replied as he eyed the metallic thing on the ground. It was at least nine to ten inches in length and looked like a sword without the blade. There were some buttons along the body, and a hook on the pommel._ "Maybe the computer blew a fuse or something. Let's take a look." _

Sam reached for it trepidly in case it was hot. He dabbed a finger on it, and was graced by the touch of cold metal. Sam closed his hand around it and brought it up to eye level to inspect the thing. He twisted his wrist in every way possible to get a glance at every feature, his eyes wide with fascination. His fingers touched one of the buttons and something shot out with a loud _pshew_! The two boys screamed in fright and Sam jumped back in shock. A blue laser blade jutted out of the end and hummed vibrantly, filling the room with the sound.

Ken's eyes went wide._ "Wow!" _he gasped with a smile._ "A lightsaber!" _

Sam couldn't believe what he was seeing. This had to be a dream. Things like this did not exist in real life. Yet, here it was right in front of him. His eyes were not playing a trick on him. Quickly, he pressed the button he had just pressed and the blade retreated back into the body.

"_Listen to me, Ken," _he said_. "This thing is really dangerous. Don't touch it. I don't want you accidentally slicing your finger or hand off. I'm just going to keep it in my drawer until we can figure out why it's here." _

The older Ichijouji opened the top drawer and put the lightsaber in it before shutting the drawer. Ken looked dejectedly at it, upset that he didn't get a turn to handle it.

"_Promise me you won't touch it without me around, Ken," _Sam ordered in a serious voice.

Ken nodded his head reluctantly._ "I won't," _he mumbled.

"_Good. Now go off and do something else. I have to study for a little while. I'll play with you later." _

Ken nodded and left the room.

A day later, Ken opened the door to Sam's room just a bit and looked around. The older Ichijouji was nowhere to be found. Ken knew he was out somewhere doing a media thing, so he had plenty of time to do what he wanted. His eyes were fixed right on the top desk drawer, where the lightsaber was kept. The saber was all he had thought about ever since it came to them. Now that Sam was gone, this was his chance to get some time with it. He entered the room with slow footsteps towards the desk drawer.

The lightsaber graced his vision as he opened the drawer. Ken stared at it with mesmerized eyes. The longer he stared, the more he felt like the saber was calling him.

'_Ken. Ken. Ken.' _

The boy reached out. His fingers inched towards it until finally wrapping themselves around the body. Once it did, Ken felt something strange happen. A jolt shot through him, like he had been injected with adrenaline, and a strange light appeared on his left wrist. The light was pink and glowed for a second before fading. A tattoo rested where the light once was. Ken gasped in fascination. The tattoo was in the shape of a rosebud. He touched it with his other hand, tracing along the design.

"_Cool!" _he breathed.

Suddenly, the light returned. The computer reacted with it as the screen glowed brightly like the day before. Ken didn't know what to do. This was strange. Suddenly, he was sucked into the computer.

The next thing Ken knew, he was sitting on the ground and sweating his butt off. He looked around, finding himself in the middle of a dense jungle. It didn't look like any jungle in Africa or southeast Asia, but somewhere that was completely different. The boy got up and admired the scene before him. This was cool! A place that only he knew about and Sam didn't.

"_Hello, Ken," _a deep voice said.

The small boy seized up. _"Who said that?" _he replied timidly._ "Where are you?" _

"_Look behind you." _

Ken turned around. A creature about the size of a dog with a red cape around its body stood two feet away from him. A horn jutted out from its muzzle. On top of the red cape were goggle lenses in two small slits. Its yellow eyes inspected him curiously.

'_Strange,' _Ken thought. _'I could have sworn that I –' _

"_I'm right here," _the creature said in that deep voice. _"We have been expecting you, Ken." _

Ken stared with a blank look. His face paled, and he screamed. The thing was talking!

"_Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you? Where am I?_" the boy tripped over his feet and fell to his bottom once again, staring wide-eyed at the talking animal. _"How do you know my name? How can you talk?" _

"_You can call me…Hackmon," _it said. Ken supposed that was its name. _"And if you are done asking questions, I will gladly provide you the answers." _

Ken nodded hesitantly. He had never heard of an animal called a Hackmon before. Was this some undiscovered new species that scientists didn't know about? He knew there were still many places that had never been explored before throughout the world, but this was just crazy.

"_I am what you would call a Digimon," _Hackmon explained. _"All the creatures that inhabit the Digital World, where you are now, are called Digimon. I, however, am a different kind of Digimon. I am a messenger from Homeostasis sent to find the ninth Destined Jedi in our struggle against the darkness. That Jedi is you, Ken." _

Ken's mind went blank, staring wide-eyed at the creature's speech. His ears heard what was being said, but not comprehending any of it. Digimon? Digital World? Homeostasis? Destined Jedi? What were all these things?

"_What do you mean you've been waiting for me?" _he asked in a small voice.

Hackmon glanced at the tattoo on the boy's wrist. _"When Homeostasis ordered that the Destined Jedi be brought back, we were anticipating there would be nine of you," _it said. _"The first seven appeared, but have returned to the real world in search of the eighth Destined Jedi. The darkness is destroying our world. Are you willing to fight for us, Ken Ichijouji?" _

Ken didn't know what to say. He had to get back to Sam's room before his brother got back or else Sam would see that he touched the lightsaber. He couldn't fight for something he didn't understand.

"_I…uh…I don't…"_ he said.

Hackmon could sense the boy's hesitation. It was a perceptive creature in the way of telling how someone was feeling at a particular moment. The creature stopped. There was something troubling about Ken the further it dug into the boy's soul. The Digimon reached out with the Force to get a clearer picture of what this feeling was. A chill went down Hackmon's spine. There was no doubt about it now.

"_No need to answer," _Hackmon said. _"For I cannot allow you to serve us." _

"_Huh?" _Ken asked with shock. _"Why not?" _

"_I can see right through you," _Hackmon replied, its eyes never leaving the boy's. _"I sense much fear in you. Your power is too strong to be controlled." _

"_What does that have to do with anything?" _

"_Everything! Fear is the path to the dark side of the Force. You're jealous of your brother, and you struggle with your anger of being seen as lesser than him in the eyes of everyone around you. To be a Jedi, you must not let your emotions hold you back. I do not see anything worthy of my attention. I cannot take the risk of you betraying the other Jedi." _

"_W-Wait! I can prove I'm trustworthy!" _Ken begged, hoping the creature would reconsider its decision. _"I promise! I'll let go of everything I feel! Just give me a chance!" _

Hackmon held up a clawed foreleg. _"I'm sorry, but my decision is final. You will be sent back home with no memory of meeting me. Farewell, Ken Ichijouji." _

Ken felt himself be swallowed up by a portal. He clutched the grass tightly to avoid being sucked in, but it was useless. "_WAIT!" _he cried as the pull proved to be too strong for him.

"_Ken, are you in here?" _Sam called as he opened the door to his room. The room got darker with a red sunset coming through the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony. _"You better not be touching the lightsaber. I told you not to." _

Suddenly, the computer screen flashed on and a body emerged from it. After the light disappeared, Sam saw that it was his younger brother. His anger rose when he saw the lightsaber in the boy's hand.

"_KEN!"_ he shouted.

Ken turned around at the sound of his brother's voice. His face paled. _"Uh oh,"_ he breathed. Busted.

Sam's face was beet red as he fiercely said, "_What the hell do you think you're doing?!" _

"_I didn't break it," _Ken chuckled and showed Sam the saber to show he hadn't done anything to it. The blade was still in one piece.

_SMACK! _

The saber went to the floor. Ken clutched his wrist, tears starting to prick his eyes. A small red mark from where Sam's hand had struck him stained the skin of his wrist. The boy had never seen his brother so angry before. The red light from outside hit Sam just right that it made him look evil.

"_I told you not to touch it at all!" _Sam barked. _"What are you, stupid? Do you have rocks in your head or something, you little idiot? I gave you one order, and you disobeyed me! Now I can't trust you anymore." _

The tears now fell from Ken's face as he shook in terror. _"I said I was sorry,_" he said weakly, but Sam was not having it.

"_What if something happened to you and I wasn't around?" _he added. He was done yelling and was now snarling at his younger brother. _"Mom and Dad would be looking to blame someone, and it would be me. Not you. Now, get out of my sight. I don't want to see you again for a while. I have to study." _

Ken sniffled, but nodded and got up to leave the room. He cried silently all the way down the hall to his bedroom. There was no use going to his parents about this. They would not be any help at all. In their eyes, Sam was a perfect little angel that could do absolutely nothing wrong. That day, something changed in Ken. He stopped being the quiet, timid, kind boy that he had always been and turned into somewhat of a hothead. The only way to stand up to Sam was for Ken to show he was not afraid of him.

But soon, that attitude would lead to something he did not intend to happen a few weeks later.

_"Just get out of here, Ken!"_ Sam scolded, trying to focus on his work. _"I'm busy right now." _

_"You never used to be this way, Sam,"_ young Ken shot back, his anger towards his older brother rising by the second. _"Even when you were busy, you always found time to be with me." _

_"Yeah, well, times change, Kenny boy,"_ Sam rolled his eyes. _"I know this may not be important to you, but it is to me." _

He slammed his hand down onto the desktop with a resounding boom and got up to look down on Ken with an enraged look. If Ken weren't so angry, he would have cowered at the sight of it.

_"Look, I don't know what has gotten into you, but you have to understand how important this is to me." _

_"Oh, so your precious reputation matters more than me,"_ Ken jabbed with a roll of his eyes.

_"Don't you dare roll your eyes at me, Ken!" _

_"What are you gonna do about it, Four Eyes? You're not my dad!"_ Ken exploded, feeling something rising within him. He couldn't explain it but it felt like it was ready to burst free from him. _"You know what, Sam, sometimes I wish you weren't my brother anymore! At least it means I would get some attention around here."_

_"Fine, you little shit!"_ Sam shouted at the top of his lungs. Their parents weren't home, so he didn't need to worry about them charging in. All his frustration went into his arm as he prepared to slap Ken. _"If you don't want to be my brother, then be my guest. I'll get everything to myself and my life will be –" _

_"SHUT UP!"_ Ken screamed and released all of the energy that was built up through his fingertips. The sounds of an electrical surge could be heard mixed with Sam's screams of pain. All of Ken's anger, hatred, and frustration towards Sam was released in that burst of Force lightning.

Sam stumbled back as the lightning surged through his body, causing him unbearable pain, until he tumbled over the balcony. His screams continued until they abruptly stopped.

Ken breathed heavily as he halted the Force lightning. Ridding himself of all the energy that had been built up left him exhausted. It hit him what he had just done.

"_Oh no. SAM!" _

He ran towards the balcony and jumped up to look over it. What he saw was something that would haunt him for the rest of his life: His older brother laying on the ground in a heap, not moving. His eyes stared lifelessly up at the balcony in permanent shock, his glasses shattered from the impact. A small trail of blood fell from the corner of his mouth to pool on the ground.

A crowd had started to gather around, many gasping in horror at what they had seen. Soon, it started circulating through the crowd that it was indeed the boy genius, Sam Ichijouji. He was dead.

_"What have I done?"_ Ken whimpered, tears cascading down his cheeks as he stumbled back into the room. Once his back hit the wall, his entire body went numb, shaking uncontrollably. His mind was going at a million miles an hour as Ken hyperventilated. He had just killed his older brother.

"_I'm sorry, Sam. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."_ Ken sobbed.

The funeral was a few days later. Ken had not told his parents that he was responsible for what had happened. He had just said that Sam fell after trying to change a light bulb, but that did not stop the guilt that gnawed at his heart. He felt more alone than ever once Sam was laid to rest.

His parents were inconsolable. They spent most of their days crying and going through the motions like zombies. Rather than invest more attention into Ken, like he thought would happen, they just ignored him even more. Almost like he didn't even exist to them. Like he was the one that had died instead of Sam. Little did they suspect, Ken's frustration and anger were slowly building into a raging inferno.

For Ken, that was when everything started to go down hill. Rather than feeling guilty like he should have been, he felt mixed emotions. He killed Sam; he was no longer in his way, but something was still missing in his life. Ken didn't know what it was until a few months later when he met…_him_.

"_Yukio, I'm so glad you could join us for dinner this evening,"_ Mr. Ichijouji said as he walked into the apartment after work one day several months later.

Ken looked up from his homework to see a much taller man walk in behind his father. The man's skin was a pale grey, almost the color of a dreary day, and short black hair as dark as the night itself. He had a gaunt appearance: His face was all skin and bones like a zombie's, and sunken eyes that were slanted like a snake's.

"_Oh, it's my pleasure,"_ said the man. His voice was so soft and quiet that it sounded like he was hissing when he spoke. _"I heard that you were all still grieving over the loss of your son, so I thought my presence would bring some comfort to you and your family." _

Ken felt a chill go down his spine at how soft and mysterious the man's voice was. It was what he imagined the _Naruto_ character Orochimaru sounding like. Every time Orochimaru would appear in the manga, Ken imagined a menacing hissing voice when he read the character's dialogue.

"_Ken, this is Mr. Oikawa,"_ said Mr. Ichijouji. _"Can you say hello?"_

Ken's voice could barely be heard as he spoke. _"H-Hi, Mr. Oikawa."_

"_Hello there, Ken,"_ the man smiled at him, kneeling down to his level. His voice was soothing rather than menacing, but Ken was still unsure about the man. _"It's very nice to meet you. I can't imagine how hard things have been for you over the last few months. How are you holding up?"_

"_Okay,"_ Ken whispered as he looked down at his shoes. _"It's been hard since Sam died." _

"_He's not usually this shy,"_ said Mr. Ichijouji in surprise. _"Come on in to the kitchen. Dinner will be ready soon." _

"_That would be much appreciated,"_ Oikawa nodded. Under his lip, he ran his tongue along the front teeth as an unnoticeable smirk grew.

The family and their guest gathered around the table for a dinner of hotpot with some pickled vegetables. Everyone was quiet as they ate their dinner until Oikawa spoke up.

"_Would you like to hear a story, Ken?" _he asked. _"I've traveled all over the world in the last two years, and have come across some very interesting tales over my travels." _

Something in the way he spoke made Ken want to hear more. He couldn't explain it, but it was like something told him he needed to hear this story.

"_Sure," _he nodded.

"_There is a place that is parallel to our world full of wonderful, amazing creatures called Digimon," _Oikawa began, making sure he had Ken's full attention. _"That world is called the Digital World. It's a place full of wonder, excitement, and adventure." _

Ken felt himself be drawn in by the story as Oikawa continued the story. By the time the man was done and left after dinner, Ken was already wanting to hear more. Over the next two months, the mysterious man came over for dinner two times a week and had wonderful stories to tell Ken every single time. It felt like he was targeting the boy specifically with these stories.

One night, Oikawa pulled Ken aside into the living room.

"_I can't help but notice you've taken a liking to my stories, Ken," _the man said with a sly grin.

"_Oh, very much, Mr. Oikawa," _Ken replied earnestly. _"It's so cool hearing all about the Digital World. I wish I could go there." _

Oikawa's grin widened. _"What if I told you there was a way you could visit?" _

Ken's eyes grew wide with excitement. "_Really? How?" _

"_That mark on your wrist," _Oikawa's eyes glanced at the rosebud tattoo on the boy's wrist. _"That is how you will get to the Digital World. However, you must learn to become stronger before you can go. It has descended into chaos over the last year because of a group of children called the Destined Jedi. They were brought to bring peace, but they did the exact opposite. There is only one that can bring peace, and that is you, Ken." _

"_Me?" _Ken asked. _"Why me?" _

"_You have been wronged your entire life by everyone, have you not? That gives you the understanding to be fair in your judgment. The Digital World needs a ruler like you, someone who will be fair and just and bring order to a world that has lost its mind." _Oikawa stuck his hand out to the boy with a kind smile. _"Let me show you the way, Ken. I will teach you how to use your powers to their greatest potential. Together, we will make a secure and just Digital World. Side by side, we will rule it together."_

Ken stared at the man's hand, torn about what to do. Oikawa sensed the boy's hesitation, so he decided to help him out a little.

"_Your only alternative is to be the new 'perfect child' your parents want, forced to be someone you're not. Living your life as a puppet pulled by your parents' strings. What a sad way to live. Sam is now free to do whatever he wants, but you won't if you decide to stay an ordinary boy. Come with me, and you will be free to be whatever you want." _

That clinched things. Ken looked up at the man with new conviction. He shook his hand without a second thought. The more Ken reflected on it, the more he realized that it was indeed a deal with the devil. Oikawa became like a father to him, teaching him everything about the Force and how to use his anger to his advantage. Over a year passed before Oikawa felt that Ken was ready to go to the Digital World.

"_The time has come, Ken," _Oikawa said with a wicked grin. _"Go now and bring peace to the Digital World. Use everything I have taught you." _

Ken bowed. _"Yes, my master."_

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji sat beside their son's bedside, hoping and praying that he would wake up sometime soon. It had been two days since they admitted him to the hospital, and Ken showed no signs of coming out of his coma. The slash on his face looked noticeably better, but was still in the process of healing with the stitches.

Mrs. Ichijouji stroked her son's hand as he slept.

"Honey, I've been thinking," she said to her husband. The man perked up to listen. "Did we give Ken enough love?"

Mr. Ichijouji raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What do you mean? Of course we did," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"When Sam was alive, we put so much attention on him that we may have neglected Ken too much," his wife continued. "Ken must have felt ignored so he buried himself right into his studies after Sam died. It almost felt like our Sam had come back to us. I guess I loved the attention so much that I didn't think about the effect it would have on Ken."

Mr. Ichijouji nodded, for he had been thinking the same things.

"You're right," he said. "We never stopped to think about what Ken wanted. Maybe he wanted to do something else, like focus on soccer or reading. I know he always liked reading, but I never stopped to appreciate it."

Mrs. Ichijouji looked at her husband sadly. It was time to confront the reality that they did not want to face.

"I hate to say it, but we failed as parents," she sniffled. Her eyes rested back on her son's peaceful face, which masked his condition. "Ken, please wake up. We promise we'll be better parents. You just have to give us the chance."

* * *

Darkness surrounded Ken from all sides. He wondered where he was transported now. He couldn't handle all the bad memories that he had just re-experienced. He had tried so hard to bury them away and never think about them again, but the mind sometimes lets things loose in times of vulnerability. His death-like coma had weakened his resolve enough to let that which he tried desperately to forget through.

'_Just let me die now, God,' _he pleaded, falling to his knees. _'The world would be better off without me living. Sam is dead because of what I've done. I'll do whatever I can to make up for it in my next life if you end my life now.' _

If he died, no one would know his dark secrets. They would only see his death as a tragedy. Just like Sam. He was gifted with all the blessings someone could have bestowed upon them, but was cut down before the world could harvest the fruit of his gifts. No one would know the sad tale of the Digimon Emperor.

From the spaces between his fingers, Ken saw fog floating on the floor. He looked up and was surprised at the transformation the void went through. He was now in the middle of a dark chamber. In front of him, Ken saw his reflection in a large mirror. He reached up and touched the slash on his face, grimacing as the pain shot through him. The reflection followed his every move. So, what he had been through was not a dream. It was very real.

Ken walked forward until his face was merely inches from the mirror. His reflection stared back at him as Ken analyzed every detail of his face. With the new mark, he looked nothing like the Ken Ichijouji he had always known. Instead, Ken saw a sad, pathetic shell of a human being. After everything he had done, there was no going back to the happy little boy he was before that stupid lightsaber came into his life.

"_Misery, misery, misery,_" a cold, mocking voice cackled. _"That's what you've chosen, Kenny." _

Ken whipped around, looking in every direction for the source of the voice. He took a shaky breath. Maybe he was just hearing things. When he turned back around to face the mirror, Ken screamed in fright and fell to the ground.

"_Why so shocked, Kenny?" _The Digimon Emperor sneered at him from the other side of the reflection. _"You know I've always been here. I was here from the very second you were born. I am the creation of your bitterness and resentment from being treated like you were dead by your parents, but now that good-for-nothing insect Sam is dead. I gave you the power to kill him." _

Ken breathed in frightened ragged breaths as he sat frozen in place on the ground.

"You killed Sam," he gasped.

"_WE killed Sam, you fool,_" the Emperor barked. _"Everything you did, we did together. We will always be connected to each other, Kenny. You can never escape me." _

Ken grasped the sides of his head and buried his face down between his knees to look away from the mirror. He wanted to escape this nightmare and get another chance to set things right.

"Go away!" he whimpered quietly. "Get out of my head! You're nothing but a figment of my imagination."

His reflection cackled loudly at him, filling the room with the horrific sound. _"I'm not going anywhere, Kenny. I am a part of you." _

"If I die, you'll die too!"

"_You die in me, I'll be you! Can't you see it, Kenny? You ARE me! I am the real you, and you are the imposter." _

"SHUT UP!" Ken could not take this any longer. He slowly stood up and faced the mirror. The Emperor sneered back at him gleefully. "You can take all your evil deeds and rot in Hell, Emperor! I'm taking back control of my mind. You have been poisoning it for too long."

The boy was shocked to see a rock magically appear in his hand. He studied it for a second. An idea came to his mind. He looked from the mirror to the rock and then back to the mirror.

The Emperor flinched with a twitch of his eye.

"_What are you doing?" _he said, trying to keep the fear from his voice.

Ken smirked and wound his arm back like a pitcher preparing to throw a fastball. "HAUNT ME NO LONGER!" he yelled as he threw the rock with all his strength.

"_Stop! NO!" _

The glass shattered instantly. The mirror lay in complete ruins with shards of glass scattered all over the floor. The remains of it vanished completely, like it was never really there to begin with. Ken stared at where the mirror once was in shock. He had really done it. Slowly, a smile played on his lips before exploding up his face. He was finally free from the Emperor's curse. Free to be whoever he wanted. Now it was time for him to escape the prison of his mind.

* * *

Everything looked a little fuzzy. Funny white shapes contrasted against a bright light shining right in his face. His vision cleared up with a couple blinks of his eyes. His left eye was more blurry than the other, which was not unusual after sleeping for a long period of time. How long had he been out? A few hours? It was hard to tell. His body felt so weak and frail.

Ken suddenly heard beeping sounds to his left, along with the feeling that something was up his nose and covering his mouth. His right elbow tingled. His head fell slightly over to that side to see what was causing the tingling. No one could tell he moved. An IV needle was sticking out of his arm, and the thing around his mouth was an oxygen mask. The right side of his face throbbed with a dull pain.

His eyes opened a little wider this time.

His parents were surprised to hear movement and thought it was one of them initially. There was no one outside the door either. Then they looked over at Ken. His eyes were open!

His mother burst into tears. "Good morning, Ken," she sobbed happily.

"Doctor!" her husband cried, running out of the room. The two men returned a moment later.

"Ken, can you hear me?" the doctor asked.

Ken nodded his head. The man removed the oxygen mask from his face, allowing Ken to breath in the air normally.

"Wh-Where am I?" he said, his voice sounding like a frog was lodged in his throat. He coughed. "Water, please."

Mrs. Ichijouji nodded and poured him a glass of water from the pitcher nearby. Ken gladly accepted the drink and gulped it down to refresh his throat. It had been a month since he drank anything other than coffee, so the feel of the water running down his throat was refreshing.

"Where am I?' he asked again.

"You've been in the hospital for two days now, Ken," the doctor replied. "You were on the verge of death when your parents brought you here, but your vitals read okay now. Do you feel any dizziness, nausea, weakness?"

Ken shook his head. "No, I feel fine," he said.

A nod. "You're lucky to be alive, Ken. Your body was in such bad shape from malnutrition and not sleeping for eleven days that we worried you wouldn't make it through the first night."

"What's next for him, Doctor?" Mr. Ichijouji asked. "Is he okay to go home soon?"

"We're still going to keep him overnight for a routine evaluation. Depending on the results, you all should be good to go home in a few days."

"Thank you, Doctor," Mrs. Ichijouji nodded as the man left the room. "Ken, Dad and I have something we want to tell you." She wiped away her tears before continuing. "We're sorry that we didn't give you enough attention when Sam was alive. We know now how wrong it was for us to ignore you. I'm sure that's what made you want to run away from us. And now look at you: That slash on your face will leave a scar, and you haven't slept for eleven days."

"Sam's gone," his father added sadly. "But we compensated for his loss by trying to turn you into his clone. We kept focusing on the son we lost instead of the son we had."

"Just be you, Ken," Mrs. Ichijouji sobbed. "Just be the sweet, kind boy we know you are. Please, give us another chance!"

Ken felt something he had not felt in a long time. Over the past two years, he was numb and unable to feel anything. He wiped at something on his face. A tear drop. He stared at his wet finger like someone seeing snow for the first time. An explosion of emotions erupted from him. Pent-up, uncontrolled sobs filled the entire room. The guilt he had ignored for so long was finally coming out into the open.

"It was a month," he whimpered. "I hadn't actually slept for a month. Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

He repeated that phrase over and over again as his sobbing became more unintelligible. His parents sat closely beside him to try and understand what he was saying.

"Sorry for what, Ken? You don't have to apologize to us for running away," his mother assured, rubbing his cheek softly.

"It's not about that," Ken replied. The weight that had hung heavily on his heart had to finally be let go after all these years. Whether this changed their perception of him did not matter. Ken just needed to finally tell someone. "It's about Sam. I was the one that killed him. I'm the reason he's dead."

Both parents felt like they had been punched in the gut. They stared at their son with mouths agape.

"I didn't mean to!" Ken wept. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

His sobs completely took him over as he buried his face in his hands. Ken's parents stared at their son dumbfounded. They could not believe what they had just heard. Ken killed his own brother? He was the reason for all their suffering since Sam died? As a parent, they did not want to believe that was true. It _couldn't_ be true! But the proof was staring them in the face from how agonized Ken's sobs were. They were the cries of someone that was holding a dark secret for too long.

What should they do, they wondered. Should they report Ken to the police after his open confession? At the end of the day, it was his actions that allowed him to murder his brother and he had to be held responsible for them. But on the other side of things, Ken was fiercely apologetic for what he had done. All the horrible things he had just gone through seemed to make him believe he had served his punishment. They had lost one child already, and did not feel like they were ready to lose the other one. Not like this.

Mrs. Ichijouji pulled her son into her chest and let him cry into her shirt. Tears poured down her face as she stroked his hair tenderly. Her husband joined in and the entire family cried together.

This was a second chance for them to be a family, and they were going to enjoy it the best they could.

* * *

**How will Ken make things right? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**I know what you guys are thinking, and the answer is no. Ken's parents have not completely forgiven him for what he just confessed to doing. Trust me, they are horrified that he did that but chose trying to comfort him over their own feelings. Going forward, it's going to be a work-in-progress between Ken and his parents. **

**The chapter got its name from a line in the Metallica song "One", which serves as part of the inspiration for this chapter, along with "Confrontation" from the Jekyll and Hyde musical. **

**Hope you guys liked the chapter and make sure to review and subscribe like always. **

**I'll see you guys next week. **


	27. Rebuilding

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: We will have to see. Won't be this chapter, but definitely going forward. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Thanks. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. You'll just have to keep reading to find out ;-) **

**Music Chick: Thanks. Glad you liked it. **

**Guest: Much obliged :-) I think you'll like it. **

**Shout out to MrMarioluigi1000 for the favorite. Much appreciated. We are now at 145 reviews, guys! Thank you so much for all your support.**

* * *

**Welcome back, guys. Sorry to keep you waiting an extra week, but Kizuna came out and by God, my imagination caught fire. I started writing out a bunch of stuff that I wanted to happen in my version when I get to writing it. I won't spoil anything for those of you who have not read the novelization, let alone seen the movie, but I think you guys may like my version better. That's not arrogance, that's simply my opinion of the great stuff I have been writing over this last week. But now it is time to return to Attack of the Emperor. **

**The Digimon Emperor saga is over. What comes next for the Jedi? What comes next for Ken? Find out as we catch up with the kids. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Izzy sipped the bottle of oolong tea and sighed as the dark liquid went down his throat. He was hard at work on a new program he was developing to make the communicators more effective in dead spots. It had been a month since Ken was defeated, and life returned to some semblance of normalcy for the Destined Jedi. School had started back up just in time to give them something else to focus their energy on.

One thing that had changed in that month was he and Mimi had started hanging out regularly, as she liked to put it. Izzy liked to call it her coming over and annoying him while he was working. Mimi would make comments about the messy state of his room, how tired he looked, wondering if he was eating and sleeping enough. She was practically acting like his mother, and it drove him crazy. Despite that, she would always take the time to clean up his room for him before she left. The thought of it made him feel funny inside. Come to think of it, he'd been having these funny feelings around Mimi for a while. Izzy did not know what to make of these feelings. It was so weird.

_Ding, dong! _

He perked up at the sound of the doorbell and went to answer it. He was not expecting any guests, so who could it be?

"Izzy, could you get that please?" his mother called. "I'm making lunch right now."

"Sure thing, Mom," he replied as he went to the door. Once he opened it, Izzy's eyes widened in surprise when he found Tai outside. Then he got a better look at him.

"Tai, you're all sweaty."

The Jedi of Courage was bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily like he ran a marathon. Sweat doted his brow. He looked up and raised a finger, signaling for Izzy to give him a moment, before taking a big gulp of air. Once Tai caught his breath, his words came out in big gasps.

"She. Said. Yes."

Izzy raised an eyebrow curiously. A second later, it clicked as a smile rose up his face. He patted Tai on the back.

"You got the girl, Tai!" he exclaimed.

Those words slowly worked their way through Tai's brain before they planted themselves in it. Once they did, Tai shot straight up. His eyes shined brightly as a warm feeling of euphoria surged through his bloodstream. He had finally done it.

"I got the girl," he breathed, still finding it difficult to believe. "I got the girl."

Tai collapsed from exhaustion.

"TAI!"

* * *

"_Someone had blundered," _Cody read effortlessly in perfect English. His class was reading the"March of the Light Brigade" poem in class, and it was his turn to read. "_Theirs not to make reply. Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die. Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred." _

His teacher smiled once he finished the passage.

"Well done, Cody," she said proudly. "You did your summer homework, didn't you?"

The boy bowed respectfully. "Of course, ma'am," he replied and sat back down. "I've always had a fascination with English poetry," his eyes narrowed when Ken crossed his mind. "But a friend of mine is really what galvanized it."

The class groaned. What a suck up, they all thought. Cody glared out of the corner of his eyes as their teacher continued with her explanation. He gripped the hilt of his lightsaber tightly under his desk.

* * *

Yolei poured another test tube full of a substance into the beaker on the Bunsen burner and watched for a few seconds. The liquid inside turned a lemonade color, and she made a note of that in her notebook. Her lab partners watched curiously, which turned to concern when the lemonade-colored liquid started bubbling.

"Um, Yolei," one of them said. "Is it supposed to do that?"

Yolei looked up from her notes. Her face paled when she saw the liquid bubbling. It was not supposed to be doing that! But she didn't want them to know that so she played it cool.

"Of course," she nervously chuckled. "It's normal for it to bubble like this before it mixes together."

A purple smoke rose up. Everyone within striking distance ran away from their lab table to avoid the inevitable explosion. Yolei was too stunned to move.

BOOM!

Once the smoke cleared, Yolei's face was completely blackened from the explosion. Her glasses were covered in smoke that she could not see anything in front of her. They fell down to her nose, revealing her shocked eyes.

"Oopsie."

* * *

"Prepare to get schooled, TK. I won't go easy on you!" Davis snickered as he glared at the blonde from the other side of mid-court. It was basketball day in P.E. and he and the blonde Jedi were put on separate teams. Davis' team wore plain white shirts while TK's had red mesh jerseys over theirs.

TK chuckled and settled into position for the opening tip off. "We'll see about that, Davis," he said.

The teacher tossed the ball up. TK got a good jump and won the tip for his team. They began setting up their offense in the zone. The point guard passed off to the player next to him, who passed down low to the post player. TK made a cut from the baseline. The post player saw him and passed it back to him. TK laid it in uncontested for two points. He high-fived his teammates as they went back to the defensive zone.

Davis dribbled the ball while glancing over at the other side of the gym, where the girls were dancing. The classical music blared from that side, driving the boys crazy. Kari and a couple other girls took a break to watch the game. His eyes were fixed firmly on her, wondering what she was thinking. Maybe she was thinking he looked so handsome dribbling the ball and that he was the coolest. He was so wrapped up in his daydreams that the next thing he knew, he was dribbling air.

"DAVIS, WAKE UP!" one of his teammates yelled.

The boy snapped out of it and saw that the ball was not bouncing against his hand anymore. He looked back and saw TK standing at the other end, smirking after another layup.

"Thanks a lot, Dolly Daydream," the blonde chuckled, giving Davis a gentle smack on the butt. "I appreciate the free basket."

Davis glared back at him, gnashing his teeth angrily. On the other side of the gym, Kari and the other girls giggled at him. He rolled up the sleeves on his shirt. It was on. He took the inbounds pass from his teammate and dribbled up the floor with purpose. His teammates called for the ball, but he ignored them. His sights were set completely on TK as he drove to the hoop. He took the ball for a layup then switched hands like Jordan in the 1991 NBA Finals.

Davis tumbled painfully to the floor as the ball was swatted out of his hands. His hands and knees broke his fall as he landed on his stomach. Kari's giggles grew louder nearby as she walked back to the girls' side of the gym. Davis felt like a knife was being twisted right in his heart, his pride wounded. If Kari hadn't thought he was a clown before, she probably thought it now, he moped.

"Need some help?" TK asked, sticking his hand down for Davis to reach.

"No!" The burgundy-haired Jedi didn't give it any attention as he picked himself up. His knees each had a bruise and the palms of his hands were red from the cushioning the landing. "For your information, TK, you got away with a hard foul there."

TK scoffed. "That was all ball, baby," he smirked innocently. "I couldn't help that you didn't watch where you landed."

"HEADS UP!" Someone cried.

Davis turned around.

SMACK!

The ball bounced off his face, leaving it completely red. A drop of blood fell from Davis' nostril. His face was not only red from the ball hitting him, but also from the anger and embarrassment he felt at being humiliated.

"THAT'S IT! I'M OUT!" he roared as he stormed off to the sideline, signaling for someone else to go take his place. He plopped down on the hard court, holding a towel up to his nose to stop the bleeding.

* * *

"_For goodness sake. I've got the hippy, hippy shakes. Yeah, I've got the shakes. I've got the hippy, hippy shakes. I can't stand still." _Matt belted out as he picked the strings manically to get into the energy of the song. He and his band were playing a concert at the nearby convention center, and the screams filled his ears. It gave him more energy to put on the best show possible. Ever since the Emperor was defeated, he was able to focus on his band more. They had played three concerts during that month and were on a roll.

"_Well, now, you shake it to the left. You shake it to the right. You're doing the hippy shake. Shake with all of your might. Oh baby. Yeah, come on and shake. Oh, it's in the bag. The hippy, hippy shake. The hippy, hippy shake." _Matt finished as one final roll of the snare drum and crash of the cymbals ended the song. The audience was shrieking for more, but that was the last song for the band. They went off the stage.

Matt wiped the sweat off his face with a towel and took his shirt off. Outside, the girls were pounding at the door to try and get inside, but the security team kept them back.

"That was a great show, guys," he smiled. "Nice work."

"Yeah," said the drummer. "The girls were going nuts. Our shows have been getting better over this last month since we've done nothing but practice."

The guitarist smirked as he looked over at Matt. "That's because our valiant bass player is not skipping out on practice anymore. What happened there, Matt?"

The Jedi of Friendship laughed nervously. His band mates wouldn't believe him even if he did tell them. "It's nothing. It was just a group project with my friends, but we finished it a while ago. That's why I'm here full time again."

The others shrugged.

"I guess I can buy that," said the keyboardist. "We're glad you're back, Matt."

"Happy to be back, guys."

After another fifteen minutes, the boys emerged from their dressing room. As soon as Matt's blonde hair came out, the girls swarmed him with autograph requests. He graciously signed each one and went on his way.

"MATT!"

The blonde's face went pale. That voice. He sprinted down the hall like he was Carl Lewis, hoping to get away from her. The bus ride from Hell was still very fresh in his mind. He looked back, but the person the voice belonged to was nowhere to be found. He sighed in relief and walked normally when he was tackled out of nowhere.

"Hi ya, boyfriend!" Jun squealed as she hugged him tightly from behind. "You were fabulous today!"

"I'm not your boyfriend!" Matt choked out, feeling his ribs being crushed from her hug. "Could you please let go of me, Jun? I can't breathe!"

"Meanie," Jun whined, puffing out her cheeks. She conceded to his demands and got off of him. "I have someone that wants to meet you." Looking behind her, she said, "Here he is, Momoe. I found him."

As Matt got off the floor, another girl that looked to be the same age as Jun walked up to him. It was clear she was nervous because she rubbed her palms together and refused to look him in the eye. Her hair was brown and, he had to admit, she had a nice body. The glasses on her face were sleek and narrow. Matt realized she reminded him of someone.

"H-Hi, Matt," she said shyly. "I'm Momoe Inoue. It's nice to meet you."

Matt shook her hand. That's where she looked familiar. She was Yolei's sister.

"Hi," he returned. "You don't happen to be Yolei's sister, do you? I thought I recognized the name."

Momoe giggled. "Yes, I am," she replied. "She's my younger sister. That was a great show today. I enjoyed it."

Matt shrugged. "Well, thank you. I appreciate it."

A buzz went off in his pocket. Matt stuck a finger up to tell them to hold on before taking the D-Terminal out of his pocket. He opened it and saw a message from Tai.

_We're all going to the Digital World today. Meet us at the warehouse. _

'_Thank you, Tai!' _Matt sighed with relief. He now had an excuse to escape Crazy Jun. He typed a reply saying he would be there soon and sent it.

"I'd love to stay and chat here, ladies, but I've gotta go," he said before sprinting down the hall once again. "See you around, Momoe."

"Bye," the oldest Inoue girl waved.

Jun watched him with confusion. "Wonder where he's going in such a hurry." She shrugged. "Oh well, he'll come around eventually."

* * *

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late," Cody muttered as he ran down the street to the warehouse. He'd had trouble getting out of class because the teacher stopped him to commend him on his performance to start the term. While it was very flattering, it was also annoying. His friends were counting on him to be on time. He realized he was sounding like the White Rabbit from _Alice in Wonderland_ after repeating himself a few times.

"_We're _late, Mr. Rabbit," Yolei joked as she joined him. "No time to say hello. Goodbye."

Cody was not amused. "That's not funny, Yolei!"

"No time for jokes, Cody. Let's go!"

"You're the one making jokes!"

The two did not stop running until they were safely inside the warehouse. The computer room door was wide open, waiting for them to enter. Everyone else was all there ready to go. Their annoyed faces told Yolei and Cody all they needed to know how they felt at the moment.

"Look who finally decided to make it," Matt glared at them.

Cody bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said. "I got held up by my teacher. I have no excuse."

"Come on, Matt. Take it easy on them," Izzy said. "It's not like we're pressed for time here. We're just going back to check on rebuilding efforts. I've been in communication with Leomon and Ogremon lately, so we're going to meet with them and see what we can do to help."

Kari beamed. "That's a great idea, Izzy. After a few months of Ken's reign, and two years of civil war, there's bound to be some clean up to do. Let's go!"

Tai and Sora glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. The Jedi of Courage blushed but didn't say anything. Neither did she as the Jedi were whisked off to the Digital World.

* * *

"You all came at the right time," said Leomon as he took the Jedi around to see the scale of destruction around Primary Village. Most of it pre-dated the Emperor's reign of terror, but was only exacerbated by his arrival. Most of the structures were damaged, but not beyond repair. "Ever since the Emperor was defeated, Ogremon and I have been leading efforts to rebuild the entire Digital World. After two years at war and the last five months dealing with the Emperor, there has been a lot to do."

"I can imagine," said Sora. The sight of damage in a place that was supposed to be as sacred as Primary Village tore her heart apart. "How has it been going so far?"

The lion warrior smiled. "I am proud to report that we are over eighty percent done with repairs, but a lot of our volunteers have been worked to the bone. We're glad you all could come."

"Happy to help, Leomon," TK replied happily.

The group soon split off into different teams to go around File Island and help lead repairs. Mimi, Sora, and Yolei stuck around Primary Village; Tai, Izzy, and Davis went across the island to the rice paddies; Kari and TK helped out at the old factory where the Jedi had found Andromon all those years ago.

TK used the Force to lift a large, heavy piece of metal and carry it over to the conveyor belt. Keeping his concentration, he put it back into place. Once that happened, the conveyor belt roared to life. TK smiled proudly, happy that it all worked.

"How's it going over there, Kari?" he called.

The Jedi of Light glanced behind her. "Going good, TK," she replied. "We're almost done." She looked down at her assistants, the Numemon. "Isn't that right, Numemon?"

"Yes!" the slugs cried out in response. They carried tools and concrete on their backs towards a broken through wall.

TK smiled at how cute she looked. Ever since he defeated Ken, TK decided to try and get close to Kari again. He had been making slow progress, but she still was not taking any hints from him. It was getting to be a little frustrating. The Jedi of Hope had started getting on edge every time she went around with Davis or laughed at one of his jokes. They trained together with Tai, so it made sense they'd be closer than before. It bothered him though.

"I don't get it," he said.

Kari looked back. "Don't get what?"

"We defeated Ken, so how are we still able to come to the Digital World?"

The Jedi of Light couldn't help but wonder as well. All this time, she thought the Jedi had been called back to restore peace by defeating the Emperor. She never thought about what would happen after they defeated him.

"You're right, it doesn't make sense," Kari said. "I'm not sure why we're still being allowed here, but it must be for a reason. Maybe there's something else that needs to be done."

"Like what?" TK asked.

"I don't know. Maybe all will reveal itself in time."

The blonde Jedi felt a dark chill run down his spine just as she said that.

* * *

Joe, Cody, and Matt went through the caves near Primary Village to see what could be done there. So far, the caves looked untouched with only a few fallen boulders scattered through the miles of tunnels. Even so, it would be messy to clean up with only one of them having the ability to move the boulders.

"I guess those boulders are not going to move themselves," Cody said, cracking his knuckles. He focused his powers into his hands and lifted the boulders up to the cavernous ceiling.

Something whizzed past his face. A jolt of pain. Cody reached up and felt a small scratch on his cheek. What was that? The slight second of deviation caused the boulders to fall back down to the ground.

"What was that?" he said.

Cody did not have to wait long to find out. The blur came back and revealed its full body to them. It was a small Digimon with a body shaped like a small hand-sized cannonball, ending in a piece of metal shaped like a lightning bolt. Its round brown eyes narrowed in contempt at him and his companions.

"Destined Jedi, go away! You're not welcomed here!" it cried, charging for them like a speeding bullet.

Joe and Matt unleashed their lightsabers to defend themselves. Cody followed after a moment of shock. The small Digimon buzzed around the cave like an elusive fly, striking the three Jedi when they least expected it. Matt and Joe were more annoyed than worried.

"I can't catch it," Matt said. "It's too fast."

"Wish you had your speed back now, Matt?" Joe joked.

"Every single day, Joe."

An explosion tore through the caves. Rock flew up from the ground and blew the three Jedi out through the mouth of the cave. Matt and Joe landed roughly on their sides, but only escaped with a few scratches and bruises. Cody got the worst of it. Blood coated the right side of his neck and a large bump jutted out from the back of his head. His leg buckled when he tried to stand up.

"Stop it!" he cried, hoping to reason with the creature. He pointed his green lightsaber at it, hoping to deter it from attacking further. "We haven't done anything to you, so stop attacking us!"

The Digimon ignored him and charged right at him, the lightning bolt on its forehead sparking dangerously. Cody brought his saber back in a defensive stance in preparation for the attack he knew was coming.

The little Digimon stopped. It hung stuck in mid-air as if gravity was blocking its forward progress. Its eyes widened with distress before being thrown like a rag doll into a nearby tree trunk. The Digimon disintegrated into thousands of data particles.

Cody gasped. Who did that? He looked around, but saw nobody. Then he felt a familiar presence nearby. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"We know you're here…_Ken_."

The former Digimon Emperor stepped out from the foliage and stood before them. He wore his plain black yukata with sandals on his feet. The three Jedi felt their eyes be drawn to the red line on his face. It looked better than the last time they saw it, but it was still hard to look at.

Matt growled. "What are _you _doing here again?" He pointed his lightsaber at the boy. "If you're back to restart your empire, we won't let you!"

Ken did not say a word. He just looked at them without a hint of emotion on his face. The two sides stared at each other wordlessly. Tension filled the air. Finally, Ken bowed his head sadly and disappeared back into the foliage.

Matt frowned at what he felt was being slighted. "HEY! Come back here, you coward!" he shouted. "We're not done yet!"

"Matt," Joe grabbed the Jedi of Friendship before he could move. He shook his head with disapproval. "Now is not the time for this. Let's get out of here."

"Not the time?!" Matt glared at Joe in shock. "Joe, have you forgotten that this guy was the Digimon Emperor? He tried to kill us!"

The Jedi of Reliability stayed firm. "That is a fight for another day, Matt. Right now, we need to report this to everyone else. Okay?"

Matt took an angry breath and looked to where Ken had stood just a few moments ago. Then he sighed reluctantly. "Okay."

Cody was stunned. Ken had probably saved his life from that Digimon, but why? Why did he help him? It did not make any sense. Had Ken really changed, or did he have some kind of ulterior motive to helping him? Nothing made sense anymore.

* * *

**What did Ken want? How will the Jedi respond to this? Find out on the next chapter of Attack of the Emperor. **

**A little short, but I wanted to kind of transition into the next saga. Hope you guys enjoyed it. **

**The song Matt and his band did was "The Hippy Hippy Shake" by the Swinging Blue Jeans, so the credit goes to them for it. **

**I promise you guys that I have all of the excitement from Kizuna kinda washed out of me now that I have all that stuff channeled. I'll have the chapters back out as scheduled. I promise. **

**As always review and subscribe to the story if you have not. Thank you for helping me reach the most reviews I have ever gotten for a story. You guys are the greatest! For that, you all deserve a reward. I will form a forum and you, my faithful readers, can ask me anything you want to know about me. No topic is off limits. I'll let you know when I have that ready. **

**See you guys next week ;-) Have a good weekend and a great week. **


	28. Seeking Forgiveness

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yeah, that was funny XD **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Not necessarily. You'll just have to keep reading the entire series to find out. Thank you as always for your reviews. **

**Music Chick: Yes it is :) That is exactly what his thought process was. How very observational of you.**

* * *

**Hey, guys. Welcome. Judging by the reaction, I would say you guys are all excited about where the second arc is going to go as I am. I'll just be sure to not let you down with this arc the way that Toei did to us for the series. I don't really have a lot to say this week, so let's just get right into the story.**

* * *

Ken took a sip of melon water as he pored over his homework. The equations, which used to come so easy to him, fried his brain out within a minute of looking at them. He stared blankly at the equation on the paper, racking his brain to try and figure out what the answer was. His hand shook as he moved his pencil onto his notebook paper and started scribbling. Ken glanced over at the textbook for some help in doing the problem.

_Knock, knock! _

Ken shot up from his hunched over position. "Come in," he said.

His mother opened the door and peered inside. She bit her lip, but forced a smile on her face for Ken.

"Ken, honey, are you hungry? Dinner's ready," she said. "If you don't want to join us –"

Ken answered right away. "No, I want to," he replied, putting his pencil down. "I'll come to dinner."

"It's okay. You look like you're busy."

"I _want to_ eat dinner with you and Dad," he said firmly but kindly as he got up from the chair. "Homework can wait a little while. I don't mind. Really."

Mrs. Ichijouji bit her lip before she nodded and opened the door for Ken to come through. This was a surprise to her. Before, Ken hardly ever so much as acknowledged her presence and always ate alone in his room. Over the past month, he spent less and less time alone in his bedroom and more time out of it by doing things like eating dinner as a family. As much as it made her happy, she was still hesitant to fully embrace the change. Maybe it was just an act Ken was putting on.

The family sat around the dinner table and ate quietly after a quick "Itadakimasu!" Dinner consisted of rice, hamburger steak, miso soup, and pickled vegetables. Ken sipped his water quietly, sensing the uneasiness from his parents. He couldn't blame them. After all he had put them through and done to them before, he wasn't surprised they didn't want to talk to him much for fear of crossing him. But the Emperor was contained, and Dr. Jekyll had permanently taken over his body again.

"Want more, Ken?" his mother asked nervously, holding out a scoop of rice.

Her husband watched anxiously from the other side of the table, wondering how Ken would react. Usually, he would eat one helping of everything and then go off to his room. His hand tightened its grip on his wooden chopsticks, threatening to almost snap them in half.

Ken nodded with a smile. "Yes, please," he said, sticking out his bowl to her. His mother put more rice in and then gave it back, which he accepted with a genuine "Thank you."

"Y-You're welcome," Mrs. Ichijouji stuttered, but nodded with a small smile. "Is this enough for you? I can make more if –"

"It's fine, Mom," Ken assured her with firm kindness. "Really."

His father relaxed his grip on the chopsticks and went back to eating. Crisis averted. Over the last month, he had been trying to watch his step around Ken as well. What if Ken was still a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment and was just playing nice to relax them? After finding out the truth about Sam, Mr. Ichijouji did not know what to believe anymore.

Dinner passed by uneventfully after that, with Ken having another half-bowl of rice after that one. His parents were relieved that nothing happened, but they were not sure if this was either something new from Ken or if he was just putting on an act to fool them. After finding out Ken was the real cause of Sam's death, they were not sure what to believe anymore.

Ken sensed the uneasy feeling from them as his mother cleared the table.

"Hey, Mom," he said timidly. "Is it okay if I go for a walk just down the street? I won't be long, maybe thirty minutes at most, and then I'll come home."

Mrs. Ichijouji sucked in her upper lip as she thought about it. For a moment, Ken worried she would say 'no.' She nodded. "Okay. Just make sure you come home before nine."

"I will. I promise," Ken bowed respectfully before going to the door. He slipped on his shoes and walked out of the apartment.

Ken wandered aimlessly through the Tokyo streets, paying no mind to the night workers, the salarymen returning to work from a quick dinner, and the foreign tourists he passed. Many stared at one particular spot on his face. Ken knew where, but he did not say anything. His thoughts kept him occupied the entire time. He was no longer the Digimon Emperor, but Ken had never felt more lonely and isolated than now. He thought about what happened earlier in the day, when he saved those three Destined Jedi from that Digimon. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the words to say. He couldn't blame Matt Ishida for reacting the way he did after all Ken had done to him and the others. If only there was a way he could make things right with them, show them that he had changed and not what he used to be.

Before he knew it, Ken had wandered far from the borders of Tamachi and found himself near the National Diet. The whole complex consisted of a post office, the actual National Diet building, the library, and offices for the representatives that came from all across Japan. He must have walked for far longer than the thirty minutes he had promised. Ken looked down at his watch and his eyes bulged out in surprise.

"Crap! I'm late!" he cried and darted towards the nearby Kasumigaseki station. Hopefully his parents would be understanding for why he was out longer than expected. He felt horrible breaking his promise to them.

Just as he was about to turn the corner, Ken felt a familiar presence nearby. He looked behind him and saw a small boy with a bowl cut of brown hair and piercing green eyes walking with an older man towards the National Diet Library. It was one of the Destined Jedi. Cody Hida, was it? Ken had a hard time remembering each of their names now. The face was definitely familiar though. What was he doing going to the library this late at night? He shouldn't be out this late at his age.

Ken looked down at his watch and saw the seconds ticking by with every moment he wasted watching the boy. He looked between his watch and Cody, torn about what to do. His parents were probably going to put him on a milk carton again if he didn't get going now, so he chose to leave.

* * *

The lunch bell rang at Odaiba Elementary the next day, allowing students an hour of freedom before returning to their lessons. Class A of fifth grade was waiting for the school lunch students to return with the food from the kitchen and hand it out. Davis and Kari were on school lunch duty today as they carried the food from the kitchen. They wore the proper head and body attire for serving lunch, plain white hats and aprons that covered the entire upper body, making them look like salt and pepper shakers.

"I hate this," Davis groaned.

"Everyone has to serve the lunch at some point, Davis," Kari assured him. "It just so happened to be our turn."

"It's not serving the class lunch, that's not an issue. I just hate having to wear this outfit," Davis explained, looking down at the long white apron in disgust. "It's humiliating."

Kari nodded and chuckled. "I could do without these myself, but it is for sanitary reasons."

They entered their classroom and set up shop on the table at the front of the class. Today's lunch was very basic: Rice with peas mixed in; agepan, fried sweet bread coated with kinako powder and sugar; and a side of soup. Cartons of milk were there to drink. Everyone lined up to get their food.

Davis looked over at Kari as she served food to the next student in line. She had been acting a little weird since they defeated Ken. Lately, in their training sessions with Tai, she'd seemed a little distant. Something had to be bothering her, and he wasn't going to let what happened when she got kidnapped happen again. As her friend and training partner, he was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey, can I have my lunch please?" the student in front of him asked impatiently.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Davis apologized and handed the boy his food.

About five minutes later, everyone had their food and sat down at their desks.

"Itadakimasu!" the class said together before digging into their food.

TK, Kari, and Davis all sat together, making sure to be mindful of the people around them so that nothing Jedi-related slipped out. To get around this, they communicated telepathically through the Force.

"_If Cody was right, why did Ken just walk away?" _Davis asked. _"Maybe he wanted to say something." _

"_Who knows," _TK replied as he put rice and peas in his mouth. _"We're probably better off anyway. It's still weird to me that Ken is the ninth Destined Jedi." _

"_Tell me about it," _Kari added, sipping her milk. _"Knowing now that he can come back to the Digital World like us, I wonder what he has in mind." _

Davis looked at them both sadly and took a bite of agepan. The soy bean powder and sugar filled his mouth, so he wouldn't have been able to talk aloud anyway. _"I don't know, but we have to be careful. He probably wanted to get an idea of where we were before trying to restart his empire." _

The two nodded and quietly consumed their food.

"_PSSST_!"

The three Destined Jedi shot up and looked around the room.

"Did you guys hear that?" Davis asked, accidentally spraying kinako and sugar from his mouth at TK and Kari.

"Ew! Davis!" TK wiped some of it off his cheek.

"That's gross!" Kari brushed her nose with the back of her hand.

Davis grinned bashfully. "Sorry. But what was that?"

The voice came again. "_Pssst_! TK, Kari, Davis!"

The burgundy-haired boy looked past his two friends and saw a face peek out from a crack in the sliding door. It was Cody.

"Cody, what are you doing here?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be eating in your class right now?"

"It's an emergency!" the boy said quietly.

TK and Kari looked behind them and saw the boy too.

"What's going on, Cody?" TK asked.

"We need to talk about something I found out last night," the small boy said urgently. "It can't wait now. I sent a message to Izzy and the others. They said they'll meet us in the computer lab. Come on."

"Later," Davis held his ground. "We're eating."

"NOW!"

TK and Kari pushed back their chairs and stood up before walking out of the classroom. Davis took a second to stuff the rest of his agepan in his mouth before quickly following.

* * *

Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, and Izzy stood around the computer lab waiting for Cody to show up with the rest of the team present. Since Joe went to a different school, he couldn't be there but they all agreed they would tell him later. They were called away from their lunch in the middle school cafeteria because Cody said he needed to tell them something that could not wait until later. Izzy sat at one of the computers.

"What do you think the big deal is?" Matt asked.

"It must have been important if Cody wants us to meet with them all now," Izzy replied, his fingers flying away on the keys. "Maybe it's something to do with Ken."

The blonde scoffed. "What's there to talk about the guy? If he can come back to the Digital World, then everyone's in trouble."

"Let's not be too hasty about this, Matt," Tai replied, hoping to reason with the blonde. "Remember how broken he was? That seemed to tell me he wasn't interested in conquest anymore. Did he say anything when you saw him?"

Matt shook his head. "No, he didn't."

"So how do you know then that he's interested in starting his empire back up again?" Sora asked.

Matt stood with his mouth hung open for a good two seconds. He was not prepared at all for the question, so he stammered for a few seconds. Just as he was about to form a coherent sentence, the door slid open and the younger Jedi walked inside.

"Thank you all for meeting here on such short notice, but this could not wait until we got to the warehouse later," Cody said. "I went to the National Diet Library last night to do some research, and I found some pretty interesting things."

"What things?" Yolei asked.

Before he answered, Cody looked at her curiously. "Yolei, do you remember what Ken told you about what happened to his brother?"

She nodded. "Yes. He told me that his brother was an abusive fiend, and that he took the kitchen knife one morning and killed him to end the abuse."

The boy then looked at Kari.

"Kari, what did he tell you?"

"That he slit his brother's throat with the knife he had," the Jedi of Light replied.

Matt did not need any prodding to explain what Ken had told him.

"He said that he and his brother were close, and then one day, his brother was gone," he said. "Will you get to the chase already, kid? It's almost the end of our lunch hour."

Cody nodded and took a deep breath. He was still trying to digest everything he read last night. He asked his grandfather if they could stop off at the library after their lesson because he needed to "do some research for a project." The man was all too happy to oblige. They stayed there for two hours. Cody read everything he could get his hands on while his grandfather found something on kendo.

"All of those stories," he said slowly, "they were a lie. It did not happen the way he told each of you. I know what really happened. I rummaged through every article I could get on Ken's brother, Sam Ichijouji. Apparently, he was a genius kid himself, but far greater than Ken. Aside from all the articles praising him, I stumbled across a death bulletin. His brother died a little over two years ago. It said he fell from his apartment balcony and died immediately when he hit the ground."

The girls gasped in horror, raising a hand to their mouths. The boys remained emotionless, but they all felt the hair on their necks stand up. No one said anything for several moments, making the computer lab as quiet as a tomb.

"That's horrible," Yolei breathed. "What happened?"

Cody nodded, understanding her disbelief. "The articles did not dive into detail too much, but one I read mentioned something about someone saying they saw Sam covered in blue electricity before he fell from the balcony."

Matt tensed. "Blue electricity?" he said, his eyes growing wider by the second. That had to be one thing. "You mean Force lightning?"

"Yes," Cody replied, narrowing his eyes. "There's only one possible way that could be. Ken killed his own brother."

Izzy and Tai looked at each other, not sure what to think. Tai gave him a look saying, '_Did you know about any of this?' _and Izzy just shrugged. Sora and Mimi stood in a permanent state of shock. Kari and TK gazed at their brothers in fear, not wanting to imagine a scenario like that happening to either of them.

"What more reason do we have for not wanting this guy near the Digital World?" Matt asked, breaking the silence.

"Hold on, hold on," Davis said. "We don't need to be making allegations that are –"

"Do you want to see the articles yourself?" Cody hissed, staring right up at Davis. He pressed his body against the taller boy's. "I'll be glad to take you right to them and have them checked for authenticity."

TK laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Cody, that's enough," he said, hoping the boy would back down. "We believe you. You went out and did that on your own? I'm impressed."

Cody stepped away from Davis and glanced back at TK with a shy smile. "Thank you. After the other day, I've had this nagging feeling that Ken is up to something. Why would he save me from that Digimon?"

Matt shifted his feet uncomfortably. He too had been bothered by what happened. The way Ken just walked away without a word, even though the blonde Jedi was ready to fight him, surprised him. He never shied away from messing with them or getting a word in edgewise before. It was the strangest thing.

"I don't know," he said, "but we should be careful going forward. He might be up to something."

"But what?" Izzy asked, tired of getting that same assumption with no supporting evidence.

_Ring! _

The group jumped at the sound. That was the bell signaling the end of their lunch period. It was time to go back to class.

"We'll continue this conversation when we meet at the warehouse after school," said Tai. "For now, let's not worry too much about it. May the Force be with you guys."

"You too," TK nodded as he led his group out of the computer lab.

* * *

"That's strange. You're usually the first one to finish the test, Ken. What happened?" the teacher asked.

"I'm not sure, sir," Ken said with a bow of apology. "But I promise I will do better next time."

The staffroom smelled pungently of cigarette smoke and freshly-printed paper. Ken felt his head swim from all of the stimuli pumping into his senses. He desperately wanted to get out of there.

"Okay, but if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask for it," his teacher nodded slowly. "I'm here to help you, Ken."

"I appreciate that, sir."

Ken left the staffroom and walked back into the hallway. Immediately, he felt the eyes of everyone in the hallway lock right onto him. Kids whispered quietly amongst themselves in doorways, classrooms, and in groups along the hallway. He didn't pay them any attention; he knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Not so much of a genius now, is he?" one girl whispered to her friends.

"I heard he lost a sizable chunk of his IQ during his disappearance," whispered another.

"Maybe it leaked out of that scar on his face," her friend snickered.

"Finally, the evil tyrant of Tamachi has been brought down to earth," said a boy with a satisfied smirk.

"About time he found out what it was like to be one of us normal people."

Ken pushed on ahead, ignoring all the whispers and stares. The gossip was a knife in the heart; it hurt him more now than ever before. Tears built up in his eyes. Everyone hated him; that was no secret, but now that he was no longer the Digimon Emperor, it bothered him to no end. Ken felt like the whole world was out to punish him for all he had done.

A large crowd of students gathered around the bulletin board at the bottom of the stairwell. Ken glanced lightly at it, but didn't pay any attention. The results of the latest math test were posted. Students with the highest marks started on the right and then went in descending order to the left. Ten students names were posted on the top half of the board, and then ten more on the bottom. Ken's name was the twelfth one. Not something to thumb his nose at, but compared to what he usually did, it was a failure.

Everyone marveled at how far he had fallen. He used to dominate the tests running away, but now he was slipping.

"That's odd," someone said. "Who would have thought Ken would do so poorly?"

"Personally, I don't even care," said somebody else. "I'm glad he's given up. Gives the rest of us a chance to look good for a change."

Ken tilted his head downward and finished his way down the rest of the steps. He didn't bother looking at the board. A few students noticed him, but he ignored their attempts to talk to him. He didn't want to talk to anybody right now.

If only there was a way he could get his life back in order. He was trying hard with his parents, but knew there was still a lot of trepidation with them. They wanted to embrace him, but there was always the fact he was responsible for Sam's death keeping a barrier between them. If only he had a friend. Someone who would not judge him from his past mistakes or saw him as the Boy Genius of Tamachi. Someone who could look past the scar on his face and the reputation to see the real Ken deep inside.

'_I don't want to leave everything broken,' _Ken thought as he trudged down the street towards home. _'I want to make things right. But how do I do that? No one gives me a chance: Not the Jedi; not my parents; not my teachers; anyone at school._'

Then he realized – He hadn't counted on the Digital World. Even so, what creature would forgive him after all the suffering and pain he had caused? He ruled the Digital World with an iron fist and was unspeakably cruel to everyone. Ken's hopeful face fell crestfallen once again.

A pink light glowed on his right wrist. Ken pulled the cuff of his uniform back and saw the tattoo on his wrist was the source of the glow. Then he felt it. The Force was calling to him. A portal opened in front of him and Ken walked into it.

He now found himself in the middle of a lush, green humid forest that strangely reminded him of the first time he came to the Digital World. His grey school uniform had transformed into a plain black yukata and sandals on his feet. He came to a place just like this one when he met…_someone_. Ken could not remember the name off the top of his head, but it was a dog-like creature that was dressed in a red cloak with a horn on the end of its muzzle. Hackmon! That was it!

Ken looked around, sensing for any trace of it. The feeling was very faint, but not strong enough to determine any location. The former Digimon Emperor felt the urge to call out its name, but he wasn't sure if he was worthy of an audience with Hackmon. The only time they met was when Hackmon told him he would not be one of the Destined Jedi. But that would not stop Ken from trying.

Finally, he strung the syllables together to make a coherent sound.

"Hackmon?" he said in a strained voice, sounding more like a squeak.

Ken took a deep breath and said the name more confidently. "HACKMON!" he shouted, the echo filling the entire forest. "Where are you? It's Ken Ichijouji! Can we talk? Please?"

He waited, but received nothing in response. Ken hung his head until his hair hung over his eyes. Tears started to fall down his face.

"Hello, Emperor."

Ken jumped almost two feet in the air. The deep, monotone voice came from out of nowhere. He quickly turned around and was graced by the sight of the Digimon he was looking for. The creature had not changed at all since they last saw each other. Its golden eyes still gave him that unsettling glare that made it seem like Hackmon was inspecting every aspect of Ken's soul. Its red cloak covered the rest of its body except for any forelimbs and its face. Its ears poked through holes in the cloak.

"Hackmon!" Ken said breathlessly, still shocked by the creature's sudden appearance. He sighed and lowered his head. "I'm no longer the Emperor. I prefer Ken, if that is alright."

Hackmon stared at the young boy with that never-ending glare. The human had grown physically, but was still the same boy he remembered. Its eyes glanced at the scar on the right side of Ken's face before looking into the boy's eyes. He felt all of the pain, sadness, brokenness, and despair that the boy was feeling presently. The suppressed anger and hatred that was bottled up inside of him before was nowhere to be found. He was merely a shell of a human.

The Digimon sighed. "Very well…_Ken,_" it said. "Why do you call for me today? How do you remember me when I erased your memory?"

"I'm…not sure," Ken replied nervously. He then thought back to the past. "I was angry for a long time. I don't expect forgiveness. Forgiveness would be too kind. I would like to ask if I can somehow prove that I'm no longer who I was. Is it too late to fix my mistakes?"

Hackmon continued to stare without any trace of emotion. "I think you and I both know the answer to that question," it said. "You can lie to yourself, but you cannot lie to the Force. As the Digimon Emperor, you made the Digital World unbalanced. Harmony was ruined because of you."

"I know, and I deeply regret all of that, but I want to help restore that harmony," Ken returned, desperation creeping into his voice. "I'm not the same person I was. I've come to realize what I have done and I want to fix the mistakes I made. Is there any way I can do that?"

Tears fell down Ken's face. "Please! I'll do anything," he cried. "I'll do anything!"

Hackmon looked at him with no emotion. A sheen of sympathy washed over its eyes for a moment, but then faded away.

"_Is that really sympathy I feel from you, my old friend?" _ a far-off voice said with a chuckle.

Ken looked up. "Who said that?" he called, turning in every direction for the source of that voice.

Hackmon sighed and replied to the voice, "Gennai, I cannot in good conscience allow this to happen. The boy is still dangerous."

"_He wants to learn. I can see it in his heart_," said Gennai.

"What if he betrays them? Homeostasis does not wish to have more deaths on its hands, Gennai."

"_Last time was extremely unfortunate, but this time is different. The children can show him the way. If I know them well, the Jedi will help him down the right path to being a true Destined Jedi." _

Hackmon sighed exasperatedly and looked back at Ken. The boy gazed at the Digimon with hopeful desperation.

"Please," he begged. "I want to become a Jedi. I had nothing but loneliness and despair when I was the Digimon Emperor. I want to make things right. Please, let me do this. I promise I will not let you down."

Hackmon grunted lowly. The more it looked inside the boy's heart, the more the will to do good grew inside. This was not the same feeling it got when it first met the boy. There was no chill. There was no warning in its heart. If the prophecy was fulfilled and the nine Destined Jedi reunited, that would mean the long-sought after balance could finally be established.

It nodded. "Okay," then its voice rose. "Very well. You, Ken Ichijouji, are given my blessing. You will be a Destined Jedi after all."

Ken smiled in disbelief. That was the best news he had heard in a long time. "Th-Thank you! Thank you!"

Hackmon held up a paw. "But," it said warningly, "I am not the only one you need to convince of your trustworthiness."

Ken felt his excitement wash away. He knew what the creature was talking about, and it was the part he was scared to go through with.

"I'll do whatever it takes," he said. "I can convince the Jedi to accept me."

"Very well. May the Force be with you, Ken Ichijouji, Jedi of Kindness."

* * *

"YAAAH!"

The two combatants charged at each other. The _thunk _of their swords meeting each other filled the dojo. Cody and his grandfather were in the middle of their kendo lesson, and the boy was striking him with everything he had. In his mind's eye, he substituted Ken in his grandfather's place.

Cody went for a strike, but Chikara sidestepped at the last minute. Cody stumbled forward and almost lost his balance. The weight of the kendo equipment felt like it was a million pounds for him right now. He breathed heavily as he stared at his grandfather past the mesh protector of his _men_. He gripped the shinai in his hands tightly.

"YAAHH!" he cried, rushing forward with reckless abandon.

His grandfather elbowed him in the stomach. The armor protected the boy's midsection, but the action stunned him enough to freeze him. Chikara brought his shinai down to strike his grandson's head. Cody closed his eyes, preparing for the contact.

_Tap! _

Cody opened his eyes and saw his grandfather's eyes twinkling mischievously. The man winked at him and put his shinai down before taking off his face protector.

"Excellent work, Cody," he praised. "That'll be enough for today."

Cody panted heavily and bowed, removing his face protector as well. The bandanna wrapped around his head was soaked with sweat. "Thank you, sensei."

Chikara looked to the side of the dojo. "Joe, would you like to show me what you've learned?" he asked the teenager.

Joe blushed bashfully. He had come along with Cody to observe his lessons with his grandfather, as well as get some saber training in when they were done.

"Nah, no thank you," he replied. "I don't want to wear you out more than necessary."

"Nonsense," Chikara said. "I still have enough stamina to fight against even the most legendary of swordsmen. Come, show me what you can do. Cody speaks highly of your skills."

'_Can't say no to that,' _Joe thought with a shrug. "Alright," he said as he got up and put some equipment on.

The two swordsmen stood before each other, waiting anxiously for someone to make the first move. Cody watched from the side, sipping on a bottle of water. Chikara moved first and came at Joe with a swing from the right. Joe reacted on instinct and blocked the strike by curling his left arm into his body and keeping his right arm straight.

"Impressive," Chikara complimented with a smirk, "But can you handle this?"

He unleashed a swift combination of attacks, and Joe reacted quickly to block every single one. The older man's speed and power for someone his age surprised Joe, but he didn't let his guard down. He kept his shinai held tight to his body to react to attacks from every angle.

_Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! _

Joe used his strength to shove the man's sword back when he went for another strike, knocking him to the floor. Cody gasped in amazement. For a second, Joe worried he may have hurt him, but the man laughed.

"Excellent, excellent," he praised, sitting up and taking his face protector off. "You certainly live up to expectations, Joe. I am impressed."

Joe bowed appreciatively. "Thank you, sir." He stuck his hand out for Chikara to take. The man accepted and allowed himself to be helped up.

"Excellent work, boys," he said. "That is enough for today. Let's go home."

"Grandfather, would it be okay if Joe and I stay a few extra minutes?" Cody asked.

Chikara cocked an eyebrow. "How long?" he asked. "It's getting late. You also have school tomorrow so we need to be getting home soon."

"Not very long," Joe assured. "Five to ten minutes at the most. Cody promised he would show me this new move he told me about."

The air fell still as Chikara weighed the boy's words. With his narrowed eyes and unchanging expression, Joe and Cody could not tell what he was going to decide.

The old man nodded. "Sure," he agreed. "Five minutes, then we need to be getting home, Cody."

Both boys smiled and bowed.

"Thank you," they said.

Chikara took out a pack of Chu-Chu jelly and left the dojo to get changed. Now that he was gone, Cody and Joe were free to shed the armor and pull their lightsabers out. The blue and green blades roared to life and buzzed with energy.

"You can have the first move if you'd like, Cody," Joe offered with a smirk.

"I'll take you up on that offer, Master," Cody smirked back and then leapt forward. He tucked into a flip and started attacking once he was in range.

The two went all over the dojo in a flurry of blocks and strikes. Cody still had so much energy to get out as his confusion and anger towards Ken fueled him. Joe felt the anger in every strike he blocked.

"Be mindful of your feelings, Cody," he said during a saber lock. He glanced down at the boy's feet and saw how they were planted. "You're _unbalanced_."

_BAM! _Cody fell to the floor with a leg sweep. His saber fell out of his hand and bounced on the hardwood floors before skittering away with a few rolls. Joe pointed his saber between the boy's eyes.

"Balance is the key to being successful in battle," he smirked. "I keep telling you that again and again, but you still have much to learn."

He moved the tip of his saber away and retracted it before he helped Cody stand up.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Does this still have to do with Ken?"

Cody nodded with a sigh. "I still don't get what his angle was," he replied. "It's like watching a pit bull that was the meanest dog on the block go from this savage beast that barks and nips at anything that comes near its territory to a whimpering puppy that won't hurt anyone. It may seem nice, but it's still a pit bull and you have that ingrained fear of them still."

Joe nodded, finding the metaphor to be very appropriate. "But what if that pit bull proves itself worthy of your trust?" he asked.

Cody shrugged. "I would guess it would be okay, but it's still a pit bull that is capable of biting the hand that feeds," _snap! _"like that."

"I see what you're saying, Cody, but even with your powers, you're still limited in what you can see based on information you have in front of you," Joe added. "You can't look at someone and immediately guess what their future is going to be. I'm not sure what Ken wants, but I suspect the Force will grant us the wisdom of that soon."

Cody thought about it for a few moments. It all seemed to make sense. He respected Joe for how he was able to put things in a way that was understandable to a kid like him. But some things were more complicated than others, like the whole Ken situation. With a nod, he said, "Okay."

"Alright, let's go catch up with your grandfather."

The two Jedi left the dojo and changed into their street clothes.

* * *

The next day, the Jedi gathered at the warehouse to go back to the Digital World. Everyone took off from whatever they had going on to help out, so the warehouse was filled with all eleven Jedi.

"We are almost ready to go, guys," Izzy said, typing away on the computer. "Don't venture too far."

The other Jedi nodded and hung around the computer room until the gate was ready for them. Davis pulled out his GameBoy Advance to play some Metroid. While he was playing, he sensed a familiar presence nearby. Davis quickly looked up from his game and gazed at the entrance to the warehouse.

"There's someone nearby," he said.

Everyone else stood right up at attention. The presence was getting closer, and it felt vaguely familiar.

The doors opened...and in walked Ken Ichijouji. The Jedi stopped what they were doing and stared, not believing what they were seeing. How did he know where they were? What was he doing here? All these questions went through them.

Ken did not say a word as he stared back at them. His heart pounded in his chest as the anxiety threatened to overwhelm him, but he steeled his courage to do this. It had to be done. The Force wrapped itself like a blanket around him.

He bowed his head. "Hello," he said timidly.

The Jedi lost the ability to breathe. The move was so unexpected. Here was, at one time, their single greatest nemesis that would stop at nothing to make sure they all died, and he was afraid to face them. No one knew what to do.

Matt glared at him with disdain. "What do _you _want?" he spat. "How did you find our hideout?"

Ken sucked in his bottom lip and replied, "I followed you all here. I came to make a request."

Matt was about to snap right back at him when Tai gave him a warning glare that said '_back off.' _The Jedi of Friendship closed his eyes and let a shaky breath out, but did fall back in line.

"What request would that be?" the Jedi of Courage asked.

Ken shifted nervously having everyone's eyes on him. He felt the cold glares not just from Matt, but from Cody, TK, Kari, and several other Jedi. The only ones not giving him a dirty look were Tai, Izzy, and Joe. It made him feel uncomfortable. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He should just go home and forget this whole idea. Despite his anxieties, Ken stayed put with his eyes cast down to the floor. He swallowed a knot in his throat and finally steeled up the words he wanted to say out loud.

"I would like to join your group," he said in a quiet voice.

"Can you say that again, Ken?" Tai requested. "I couldn't hear you."

Ken nodded and looked up at them. "I want to join you all," he said a little louder, but it still was too quiet.

"Stop mumbling and answer the question!" Matt said irritably.

"Matt, be quiet!" Tai admonished.

Ken took a deep breath confidence shooting from his eyes like daggers and spoke in a clear voice. "I would like to join you all. I want to become the Destined Jedi I was meant to be."

* * *

**Cliffhanger! How will the Jedi respond to this interesting move from Ken? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and felt a little bit of sympathy for Ken. After making him basically the antichrist as the Digimon Emperor, I was not sure how to bring him down and make him human until I figured out to just show how everyone around him treats him. Hopefully it worked well enough for you guys.**

**Here is a link to the Forum I created. Feel free to ask me anything you want to know about me: www . fanfiction forum / AMA-MadDogLucario96 / 226095 /**

**As always, make sure to leave a review and subscribe if you have not already. You are not going to want to miss what is coming. **

**See you guys next week. **


	29. The Jedi of Kindness

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Yes it did. Will it work out? **

**Ackbarfan5556: XD Didn't cross my mind I am ashamed to admit. **

**IanAlphaAxel: Thank you :) Hope you continue to review. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: What does that mean? **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thank you, Greymon. Really appreciate the kind words. I honestly don't know if I would have been able to do it, to be honest with you. That's what makes Ken a great redeemed character. **

**Special shoutouts for Warframe144 and Stormysky68 for the favorites and to Warframe144 for the follow. Thank you, guys, and welcome aboard.**

* * *

**In a world that has gone mad over the last couple of days, there are some things that do not change. The good point about the world practically burning at this point is that I get more time to sit in my house and write. That is how I am protecting myself from coronavirus, though if you are healthy, you have nothing to worry about.**

**Thank you all for helping me cross 7k views! You guys are amazing! **

**Last time, Ken, with help from Gennai, was able to convince Hackmon and Homeostasis to let him be a Destined Jedi. Then came the hard part: convincing everyone else to let him join the group. Let's get back to the action right where we left off. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"I would like to join your group. To become the Destined Jedi I was meant to be."

The warehouse went as quiet and still as a tomb. It was so quiet that the wind blowing against the sheet metal and plaster exterior of the building outside could be heard. Birds sang their songs in the steaming September afternoon, blissfully unaware of the drama going on inside of the warehouse.

The Destined Jedi stood with their mouths agape, unable to process what Ken had just requested. Matt's mouth fell so far that he almost looked like Ogremon for a second. Yolei kept her eyes glanced down at her mouth to make sure a fly didn't buzz into it. The others were not as slack jawed, but could not contain their surprise.

Ken sensed the uneasiness in the room. All of a sudden, he felt ashamed and started kicking himself mentally for what he did. '_I blew it!' _he thought to himself. _'I knew this wasn't such a good idea. They'll never accept me.' _Nevertheless, he stood still and waited patiently for their response.

Matt was the first to snap out of his shellshock.

"No!" he snapped. "No way! Forget about it. How do we know you're not just trying to get our guard down and kill us in the middle of the night?!"

"Matt!" Tai barked.

Ken stood his ground, despite his rising fear. "I'm not the Digimon Emperor anymore," he said firmly. "I hate what I did when I was. I just want the chance to make things right." He pointed to the scar on his face. "I've suffered enough for my crimes. I know this is asking a lot from you all, considering I tried to kill you a couple times –"

"A couple of times?" Yolei chuckled sarcastically. "Try every time!"

"You injured Davis' leg, you kidnapped Yolei and Kari," Cody hissed. "You practically killed Sora. Worst of all, _you insulted my father! _What makes you think we'll welcome you with open arms? All is forgiven and forgotten? Try no! We will _never_ forget what you did, you _murderer_!"

Everyone froze in dead silence once again. Ken's face froze in permanent shock. It may have been going too far, but it needed to be said. The raven-haired boy stared in disbelief at the youngest Destined Jedi.

Ken moved his mouth to speak, but words were not coming out. It was like his brain had permanently shut down. Finally, some words finally came out.

"Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?" he gasped hoarsely.

Cody's glare never lightened. "We know the truth about what really happened to your brother," he growled. "You couldn't stand the fact he was better than you, so you murdered him in order to be the one and only boy genius of Tamachi!"

Ken felt his whole body tremble, but he still kept a brave face. The memories of that day swirled back within him. The guilt, the fear, the helpless feeling that threatened to drown him. He let out a strangled breath and looked down at his feet. Whatever courage he worked up in coming here was long gone.

"I didn't mean to kill him," he sniffled, trying desperately to keep his tears back. "My powers were still raw; I was not in control of them. I have to live with that mistake every day, I realize that. Let me help right that wrong by helping you all."

"I'm sorry, but no." Cody said, turning his nose up at Ken.

Yolei put her hands on her hips and glared right back, making her decision known. Matt folded his arms across his chest.

Ken looked away from the three Jedi's hostile glares and turned to TK and Kari, looking for a glimpse of reason in their eyes. Instead, he found the same suspicion and distrust he saw with the others. Davis also eyed him carefully like he was silently asking a king cobra not to bite him.

"You have to admit that you did some awful things to us, Ken," Kari said. "We aren't just going to say we forgive you because all of a sudden you're not our enemy anymore. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"She's right," TK nodded. "It's not that simple. Sorry, Ken, but as the leader of the younger Jedi, I cannot in good conscience risk everyone's safety. My answer is no."

"Eh, I don't know," Davis shrugged. "I'm not so sure about it."

Ken looked to Joe, who shook his head. Mimi and Sora gave him conflicted looks, but ultimately followed everyone else and said 'no.' Desperate, he turned to Tai and Izzy with tears in his eyes. This was his last chance. They both seemed reasonable, so he hoped they would take some pity on him.

Izzy bit his lip and stayed stone-faced for what was thirty seconds but felt like thirty _minutes _for Ken. Tai wore the same expression. He couldn't decipher what the two of them were thinking, but knew enough to probably make an educated guess. Without waiting for their responses, he looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time," he mumbled, swallowing the knot in his throat as he shed a tear. "I thought maybe you all could help me discover what it means to be a true Destined Jedi." Ken scoffed. "_Heh! _I guess I was naïve to think that would happen. Forget I came here today. I won't bother you again."

He left quietly as tears fell down his face. The Jedi felt the sadness radiating off him, but did not say a word back. When the door to the warehouse closed behind Ken, most of them sighed with relief.

"Well, that was pleasant. Nice of him to stop by, don't you think?" TK joked.

"Ken, one of us?" Cody said with disgust. "Impossible! When he was the Digimon Emperor, he was ruthless and tried to kill us."

"I'll never forgive him for what he did to Sora," Matt agreed. A chill went down his body remembering how close to death she was. "He never even said he was sorry for what he did."

Tai watched the door in silence. Ken hadn't even waited to see what he was going to say, which meant he knew the answer already. Ken kidnapped his sister, tortured him on more than one occasion, and almost killed him the first time they met. Despite all the anger he felt for those events, Tai felt conflicted about what to do next. He still saw the boy's sad face in his mind's eye.

"Tai?" Izzy said, shaking him out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

Tai shook his head to get the cobwebs out. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Let's go to the Digital World. Reconstruction should be done today, so we can't be late for that."

He walked into the computer room, and everyone else followed. Izzy stayed put.

'_What is going through that mind of yours, Tai Kamiya?' _he wondered before falling in line with everyone else.

* * *

Ken stood silently in the aisle of the train car as the Keihin-Tohoku Line rumbled beneath his feet to its next destination. It was rush hour, and already dozens of people were crowded into the train car on their way home. Luckily, the train coming into Shimbashi was not crowded yet, so he found space to be by himself for at least the next stop. Now, he was being crushed like a pack of sardines.

None of the commuters noticed him. They were too wrapped up in their own business to spare him at least a passing glance. To them, he was just another nameless face that they saw on the train and would probably never see again after today. He wished he could be that way in Tamachi: Just a nameless passenger passing through the station every day. Instead, he was Ken Ichijouji, boy genius.

The monitor just above the doors to his right said that the next stop was Tamachi. He kept a grip on the overhead handles as he moved down the aisle to make his escape a little easier.

"Excuse me," he muttered to everyone he passed.

"_The next stop is…Tamachi," _said the computerized female voice_. "Transfer here for the Yamanote Line."_ It then said the same thing in English.

The train started to slow down as it entered the station. For Ken, it may as well be the beginning of the end of whatever freedom he had left to be himself. He was back in the suffocating world that demanded nothing but perfection from him.

The doors opened. Ken slumped over and walked off the train and into the busy station. He blended into the crowds of commuters going in, out, and around the station until he reached the turnstiles. With a swipe of his IC card, he passed through and exited the station.

As he wandered mindlessly towards home, Ken wondered if his chance to set things right with everyone was ever going to happen. Right now, nobody trusted him. The Jedi pretty much confirmed things when they firmly rejected his petition to join. If he couldn't get things done with them, then maybe it was just better to go it all alone. At least no one could hurt him that way.

'_Tomorrow, I'm going to do this myself,' _Ken thought as he entered his apartment building.

* * *

Tai sat anxiously in the waiting area of the department store in Shibuya. He looked down at his watch and huffed impatiently. He went into the changing room and knocked on one of the stalls.

"Sora, are you done yet?" he asked.

"Just a second, Tai," the Jedi of Love replied angrily. "I just need to try this on real quick."

"Well, hurry up! You've been in here for twenty minutes."

"Patience! I'll be right out."

Sora groaned and got back to business. She stood in the changing stall with only a shirt and panties on. So far, she found two shirts she really liked and a cute pair of shorts. There were three skirts she couldn't decide between so she was trying them all on to see which one looked better.

She picked one up, a bright green with dark green stripes across the front, and put it on. Sora looked from the front, twirled to the left side, and then the right. After a second, she shook her head. It wasn't her style. She took it off and tried on the next one; this skirt was purple with a fade to black when it went around. The skirt fit alright, and seemed to look good on her, so it was a leading candidate. The one complaint she could make about it was that it looked a little too Goth for her taste.

"Come on, Sora! Let's go! We need to get to the place before they run out!" Tai's voice came again.

"One minute!" Sora shouted back, taking off the skirt. "They won't run out of dangos by the time I get out. I promise."

The last skirt to be tried on was a plain sky blue one. When Sora first saw it, she instantly fell in love with it. Since her name meant 'sky' in Japanese, it was a perfect representation of that. She carefully put it on and was instantly star-struck by how she looked in it. It complimented her zebra shirt perfectly, and made her hair stand out. This was the one.

Sora smiled with a satisfied sigh and changed back into the denim short shorts she wore into the store. Taking her selected merchandise with her, she stepped out of the stall. Tai was there to greet her with an annoyed glare.

"About time you decided to come out," he hissed.

"I found this cute skirt," she replied, ignoring his annoyance. "Doesn't it look nice?"

Tai eyed the sky blue skirt she held up. A blush swept across his cheek, imagining how cute she'd look in it. He brushed one side of his hair away nervously.

"It's not bad," he muttered.

Sora's excited face fell. "Just 'not bad'?" she repeated. "Man, Tai, you're the worst boyfriend when it comes to compliments."

"Hey!" he cried.

Sora snickered. "I'm teasing you," she patted his cheek with her hand. "Have a sense of humor."

Tai rolled his eyes with a groan and followed her to the checkout. After paying for her new clothes, the two of them walked back out into the busy Shibuya streets. It was Friday night, so the alleys and streets were filled with people. Tai happened to hear about this new dango stand that served all kinds of the delicious treats. Sora liked dangos, so she was all for it.

The two wanted to get as far away from Odaiba as they could for a date tonight after helping clean up in the Digital World. None of their friends knew they were dating yet, and they wanted to keep it that way for now. Izzy was the only one that knew their secret, and he promised to stay quiet about it until they were ready to tell everyone.

Being officially boyfriend and girlfriend was still something Tai had a hard time wrapping his head around. Sora was now this best friend he shared more than just common interests in; they shared a lot more than that. At the same time, it didn't feel any different than just being friends. It felt…nice, he thought with a blush.

After walking through the alleyways and narrow streets, they finally found the dango stand near Hachiko Crossing. There was a line of people going almost halfway down the block. Tai and Sora quickly joined before it got longer. It took them almost ten minutes, but now they were the second people in line.

"Hey, Sora, I've been thinking," Tai said, "About Ken."

"What about him?" Sora asked curiously. "If you're trying to change my mind, it won't work, Tai. I don't think it's wise to consider letting him into the group. He hasn't given us a reason to trust him. Now that the Digital World is close to being rebuilt, we don't need him."

The Jedi of Courage nodded. "I know, but there's a part of me that –"

"Next!" the salesperson said.

The two stepped forward.

"Hi, one order of _chadango, _please," Sora smiled.

"And one _hanami _dango, please," Tai followed.

"Okay, one _chadango_ and one _hanami_ dango. That'll be ¥320."

Tai pulled out his wallet and paid for them both. He and Sora moved to the side so that the next people in line could order. The Jedi of Courage picked up where he left off in the conversation.

"I know, but there's a part of me that thinks he may be sincere in his desire to join us. I saw the look on his face when we all said no. Izzy and I didn't say anything, but he already knew we would say no," Tai closed his eyes and took a breath. "The devastation and pure sadness are something I'll never forget."

Sora nodded as one of the stand attendants handed them their dango skewers. With a gracious nod of thanks, they walked over to the sit down area near the Hachiko statue to eat. All three of Sora's dangos were completely green, while Tai's had one pink, one white, and one green. Sora bit into the top dango and moaned with delight as the sweet taste of matcha mochi filled her mouth.

"Mmmm. These are so good. I could eat these all day."

"I agree," Tai nodded as he bit into the pink dango at the top of his skewer.

The two spent a few minutes focused only on eating the sweet treats on a stick. Once they were done, they walked to a nearby convenience store to throw them away.

"You have a good heart, Tai," Sora said as they walked back to Shibuya station. "But I don't think even you can reach Ken. He's given us more reasons for why we should not trust him than reasons why we should. I just don't want us to be wasting our time and putting energy into something that is a dead-end street."

Tai nodded. "I know how you feel," he replied. "And I completely understand. I hated him for basically killing you too, but I wouldn't have asked us to spare his life if I didn't think he would change. Something about his broken spirit resonated with me."

Arms wrapped around his left arm as Sora rubbed her cheek along the material of his shirt sleeve. A blush spread across his face.

"That's what I like about you."

Tai looked around. A few people looked at them with disapproval for the public display of affection.

"Come on, Sora. People are starting to stare," he said, eyeing the stares uncomfortably.

"Let them stare," she replied.

Tai shrugged and decided he could live with the stares for now. His mind returned to Ken. What Sora had just said a few moments ago suddenly clicked with him. Maybe _he _couldn't get through to Ken, but perhaps there was someone who could.

* * *

"Forget about it."

Tai sighed, not surprised to get this reaction. "But, Matt –"

"No. I won't do it," Matt shot back angrily. "What makes you think I can get through to that little turd? Clean up in the Digital World is done, Tai. We don't need him."

"Maybe we don't him, but he needs us," Tai said calmly. He'd dealt with Matt's temper enough to know to stay calm and level-headed. He knew Matt was just being irrational right now. "Look, it's not like I've forgiven him for what he's done. What he did to Sora I could never forgive, but I think we were a little too harsh to him the other day."

Matt exhaled sharply through his nose and checked on the pan at the stove. The hamburger steaks sizzled as they cooked; medium well just like he and his father liked it. He used the tongs to turn them over and cook the other side. His dad would be home soon because Rumiko was coming over for dinner that night.

"I get what you're saying, Tai," he said softly. "But we don't need him. For a long time now, it's been the eleven of us. I'd much rather have an eleven than a twelve in blackjack."

Tai sipped on his glass of water before replying, "Matt, this isn't blackjack. Twelve is better than eleven when in battle. All I'm asking is for you to talk to him. That's it. If you have all of these concerns, address them with him. Maybe you guys can work things out. If he's not worth your time, then just say so and leave it at that. At least make an effort to try." He chuckled and added, "He reminds me a lot of you, you know."

Matt whipped around, stunned by the statement.

"What are you talking about? I'm nothing like him!" he protested.

Tai smirked. "Oh, contraire. I seem to remember plenty of times where you let your emotions get in the way." The Jedi of Courage put his glass down on the table. "It's not just the physical scars that make you both similar, Matt. He has plenty of the same emotional baggage that you carried at that age."

"I did not murder my own brother!"

"No, but you did try to kill Joe, and then you tried to kill me," Tai shot back with a smirk. "You thought it was better being by yourself than with us so you ran away for a while. You thought TK was better off without you, and all of us too. But you came back at the right time to help us destroy Piedmon."

"TK did that," Matt chuckled, "not us. You and I were key chains the whole time. I had a pang of conscience when Gennai and Gabumon visited me in the cave."

"Right," Tai let out a chuckle of his own. "Ken is in that same position you were in. He's lost right now. I could see it in his eyes when he came to us the other day. He just needs a little direction, and someone who will help show him the way. I think you're the right person for the job, Matt, because you understand what it was like to be in that spot. I'm not saying you have to be his friend, but just meet with him, okay? If it doesn't go well, it doesn't go well; just don't have your mind made up before you go. Please?"

Matt minced up some onions and spread them across the pan to add more flavor. He silently went about his cooking as he thought things over. In the grand scheme of things, how could one little meeting hurt? Tai had never steered them wrong before. And if things didn't go well, at least he could say he made an effort.

"Matt, did you hear me?"

"Yeah, I heard you," he replied. "I'll do it."

A small smile rose up Tai's face. "Thanks, Matt. I knew I could count on you."

"No use bawling all over me for it," Matt shrugged. "I trust your judgment. Come on, let's go get something to eat."

Tai smirked teasingly. "You mean you weren't making me dinner?"

"This is for _Dad_," the blonde shot back with a teasing smirk of his own. "Rumiko's coming over for dinner tonight; I wanted to have the hamburger steaks done before he came home. Let's go out."

"Read my mind."

* * *

Matt waited outside the gates of the soccer field in Tamachi, keeping his eyes on the raven-haired boy that made a well-timed pass to a teammate for a goal. The high-powered excellence that he saw against Odaiba FC in the scrimmage back in May was no longer there. Ken was merely just an average soccer player now.

His palms were sleek with sweat. This was probably the most nerve-wracking thing he had ever done, though it would likely be replaced when he decided to ask Sora out in the future. _That _would then be the most nerve-wracking thing. It was all just a matter of timing. Right now, he was not sure how his presence would be received. Would Ken try to run away and avoid him? Would he refuse to talk to him? Matt shook his head out. He would not take 'no' for an answer.

"TAMACHI!"

The Jedi of Friendship looked up. He must have spaced out for far longer than he expected. The team was already heading back through to their locker room. He sat on a nearby bench and waited for Ken to come out.

Several boys passed him, but none of them were Ken. They didn't notice him as they walked on by.

"What happened with Ken?" One of them asked. "It's like he's a completely different person."

"Who knows," another replied. "He can't cut it anymore. That's the problem. Maybe those aliens that kidnapped him sucked out his soccer abilities."

"Shut up, Yashiro. We need him."

Matt frowned as they walked away from earshot. That's all he was to them, just the guy who their success hinged on? It didn't sound like they saw him as much of a friend, if at all. His memories from elementary school were sort of like that as well. Hardly anyone talked to him or gave a thought about him. They only saw the moody, quiet blonde kid with divorced parents. His stomach lurched uncomfortably. He wanted to get rid of those memories.

Ten minutes later, the boy Matt had been waiting for finally emerged from the gates. Ken looked up and down the street before heading the opposite way from Matt's position.

"Ken!" Matt called.

The younger boy turned around at the call of his name. His face paled at the sight of the blonde Jedi. His hand tightened its grip on his sports bag. What did Matt want? Did he come to try and get in his face again, tell him to stay away from the Digital World and that he'll never be a Destined Jedi? Ken did not wish to find out, so he walked down the street at a faster pace.

"Wait, hold on a minute!" Matt ran to catch up with him. "I'm not here to bust your chops. I just wanna talk."

Ken halted his leave and allowed the blonde Jedi to catch up with him. The sincerity was dripping off of him, but with a touch of reluctance, Ken noted as Matt finally stood in front of him.

After taking a few deep breaths, Matt said, "No wonder you're a beast on the soccer field. You're fast."

"Um…thanks, I guess?" Ken shrugged, unsure what to make of the statement. "What are you doing here? Come to remind me how much of a bad boy I've been and you will not allow me in the group?"

"Not this time. I want to talk frankly. Man to man." Matt paused to take a deep breath and then resumed. "I've never liked you, that's no secret. I think you're a pathetic, sad excuse for a boy that only does things to get attention because Mommy and Daddy treated you like you didn't exist when your brother was alive."

Ken scoffed bitterly. "Gee, thanks. What else? Keep it coming."

"No, that's pretty much it," Matt said with a shrug. "A pathetic little squirt who didn't feel adequate."

The two stood in silence for the next minute, neither one knowing what else to say to the other. The world fell still, as if holding its breath for what would happen next. After four months of bad blood, there should have been more to hash out but neither of them wanted to talk much.

Finally, Matt broke the silence with a "Anyway, there's a reason why I am here today. I wanted to give you this."

He handed Ken a folded piece of paper. The former Digimon Emperor looked at it suspiciously.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Open it."

Ken unfolded the paper and looked down at what was written inside. It looked like an address to somewhere. He didn't understand.

"Be there at 7 a.m. tomorrow," Matt said. "We're going to have a little meeting to see whether or not you are worthy of my time."

Ken's eyes widened when it hit him what the blonde meant. Excitement rose up within him as a smile spread across his face.

"Thank you," he said.

"You won't be thanking me tomorrow," Matt smirked. "It's just to see if there is anything redeeming about you."

Without another word, he left. Ken looked down at the paper in his hands in awe. This was his chance to finally do something that helped others for a change.

* * *

"I'm telling you, Matt is completely out of his mind!"

Tai sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Look, TK, I know you're not happy about this, but –"

"He tried to kill us, Tai!" the younger blonde protested. "How can you be so quick to forgive him, especially after what he did to Sora?"

"I _haven't _forgiven him for that," Tai seethed in the boy's face. "I will never forgive him for that. That doesn't mean we can't at least talk to him. Maybe there is something we could use him for."

TK scoffed. "Like what? There's nothing left to do in the Digital World. Our business there is over. Therefore, we don't need him."

Tai took a deep breath to calm his anger. TK had really grown into the leadership position, as much as he didn't want to believe it. That also came with the downside: He was more opinionated now and willing to challenge Tai's decisions.

"Be mindful of your place, TK," he said. "You may be the leader of the younger kids, but I'm still the one in charge of the entire group. I'm the general, you're still the sergeant. Is that clear?"

TK stared back with cold, icy blue eyes. Davis and Kari watched from the side, worried that the blonde would do something irrational. He was not one to back down, even to Tai, but he knew this was a battle not to be fought. With a nod, he replied, "Crystal clear."

"Good," Tai nodded back. "Control yourself in the future."

"Understood."

The two other Jedi in the room relaxed. Crisis averted. That still didn't mean they were worried about TK's behavior ever since Ken was defeated. He'd been more prone to these kinds of confrontations than usual.

"I just don't get it. Why would we need Ken to help us?" Kari asked.

"This isn't about him helping us, Kari," Tai put a hand on her shoulder. "This is about us helping _him_."

His younger sister cocked an eyebrow. "Huh? I don't understand."

"Yeah, have _you _lost your mind, Tai?" Davis echoed.

"Not quite, Davis," his master snapped. "But I am going to if you don't sit down and hear me out."

Davis' face froze. "Point taken," he muttered before sitting down on the floor attentively.

"I know this is probably not what you guys wanted to hear, but sometimes we have to make tough decisions as Destined Jedi," Tai started to explain. "When we defeated Ken, and I saw how broken and helpless he was, it awoke something in me. Despite everything he had done to us, there was something underneath he was trying to hide. Then, when he came to us the other day, while you all gave him the cold shoulder, I looked into his eyes."

He looked around to see how the younger three Jedi were receiving his talk. They leaned forward and listened closely. Even TK was being quiet and receiving the words actively.

"What did you see?" Kari asked.

Tai took a slow breath, the memory of that day came back vividly. The look of sadness and rejection on Ken's face as he walked away was heartbreaking to see. Tai knew in that moment that Ken just wanted somebody to believe in him.

"I saw someone who was lost and needed someone to help guide him," he said. He looked directly at TK when he said the next part. "Kinda like how Matt was when we returned to the Digital World to defeat the Dark Masters. Remember, TK?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah."

"Ken was silently begging for an opportunity to turn himself around. You can fake a lot of things, but you cannot fake the kind of hopelessness that Ken had in his eyes." Tai scraped his top teeth over his bottom lip as he thought of his next words. "That's why I asked Matt to have a meeting with him. At least just to see whether he was truly worth our time. I don't know what will happen, but if it does go well then I want you guys to back me up on this. Can you do that for me?"

The three younger Jedi looked down at their hands, showing various stages of conflict. TK was still not really sure what to think anymore. As the second leader though, it was his responsibility to keep everyone safe so he was still not comfortable with the idea.

Kari was a little harder to decipher. She bit her lip and thought about it for quite a few moments. Her brother had never steered her wrong before, but this time she was not sure about his idea. Ken could be using Tai's kind heart against him and trying to get him to give Ken another chance. When he had their trust, he'd kill them all. She blinked. That sounded like a really wacky theory, now that she thought about it more clearly. Then she thought of the time Ken kidnapped her. He tortured her with his words, trying to get her to surrender to him. She also noticed the lustful intent he had the whole time as well, which unsettled her even more.

"Alright. I'll back you on this one, Tai," she finally said. "But I sure hope you know what can you're opening with this."

"She's right," TK agreed. "I may not like it, but I can't go against you, Tai. I still don't think we should trust Ken so fast."

Davis didn't say a word. The burgundy-haired boy didn't know what to do. He looked down at his leg, the same one that Ken had plunged his saber into just a few months before. He had finally recovered from that attack, but he still felt the saber's burn on his flesh. The first time they met, he was held prisoner and tortured with Force lightning. By all accounts, he should have been a definite 'no', but if what Tai said was right, then who was he to argue? Tai was the best master he ever could have asked for, and had never steered him wrong.

There was also the time Ken captured Yolei in the middle of the night. While, from what the girl had said, he treated her well, it did not excuse the fact he kidnapped her and frightened her family half to death. Davis grabbed his head, taking fistfuls of hair in his hands. This was so hard!

"Davis," Kari raised her eyebrows suggestively and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Come on."

The boy's face exploded red with blush. "Um…I don't…" he stuttered, not prepared for this.

"Please?" Kari fluttered her eyebrows. "For me?"

TK's hand clenched into a fist. It shook as anger coursed through his body. He tried to keep his face calm, but his eyes narrowed in a death glare at the boy. So that's what was going on lately, eh? He was worried to see what it was like when he wasn't around.

Davis laughed. "Alright, alright, alright. I agree with you, Tai. Whatever happens, we'll at least give Ken a chance."

Tai chuckled. "Just can't say no when the ladies are involved, eh Davis?"

"Only Kari, I guess," Davis replied with a nervous chuckle of his own.

The bushy haired teen looked across at the younger blonde, who still glared knives into Davis. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Everything alright, TK?"

TK loosened up. His face fell back to its natural happy-go-lucky grin and his fist relaxed. Mr. Hyde had gone away, and now the normal TK returned.

"Yeah, everything's fine," he said with a grin. "We'll see how things go with Matt tomorrow."

"Yup. Meet at the rendezvous point early tomorrow morning."

* * *

The sun still hung low in the sky as Ken arrived at the warehouse at 7 a.m. like Matt told him. He still walked around in a daze from waking up at 5:30 in order to catch the early train from Tamachi. Since it was still relatively early, rush hour was not in full effect yet.

When he opened the door and entered, the building was completely quiet. Outside, the early birds sang their songs and the low foghorns from incoming ships announced their arrival to the docks. The lights were turned off, making it difficult to see. To his left, Ken saw some rays of sunshine enter the warehouse, giving him at least some assistance.

"Matt?" he said. "Are you here? It's Ken."

He received no response. For a moment, Ken worried he had shown up at the wrong address. He took one look at the paper he kept in his pocket. It was the right address. Then Ken looked at his watch. _7:02_. Where was Matt?

"'_Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe," _a voice laughed in the darkness. _"All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe_."

Ken felt chills run down his spine. It was chilling just listening to it now that he was on the receiving end this time.

"Come on, Matt," he called in a small voice. "That's not funny."

"Not so funny when you're on the other side, now is it?" the blonde Jedi said as he emerged from the shadows behind Ken.

He threw something in Ken's direction. The boy caught it in his hand. He was holding a bamboo sword in his hand. Ken did not know much about kendo, but he remembered that the sword was called a shinai.

"You ready?" Matt asked, raising his own sword.

Ken gulped nervously. "For what?"

"Our meeting," the blonde Jedi replied. "The only real way to see if you're worthy is how you respond with an opponent, so we are sparring."

Ken was still confused. This did not make any sense. How was sparring going to help him prove his worth?

He would get his answer as Matt turned on the lights in the room to their right. A large tatami mat was placed in the middle of the smooth granite floor. Matt walked in and stood on one side of the mat, while Ken reluctantly went to the other side.

"Matt, can we talk about this real quick?" he requested.

"What's there to talk about?" the Jedi of Friendship replied. "Do you want to be one of us, or not?"

Ken nodded. "Yes."

His opponent pointed the sword at him. "Then fight me, and prove that you can still do it."

Matt bowed to him as a sign of respect before the fight. Ken followed after accepting that there was no getting out of this. His hands gripped the bamboo sword tightly and pointed it back towards Matt.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" The blonde roared as he charged.

Ken was so shocked by Matt's movements that he almost didn't raise his sword in time to block the attack. The blonde then came back with two strong attacks, but Ken blocked them as well. His feet finally responded to the command to move, blocking Matt's every attack.

"Come on! Is that the best you've got?!" the blonde taunted him as he pressed their swords together. "I know you can do better than that. Let the hate flow through you. I want to see the Emperor."

Ken stiffened. Bring out the Emperor? That was something he did not wish to experience ever again. Why was Matt asking him to do that? When he was the Emperor, he was cold and cruel.

"UGGGHHH!" Ken recoiled back as he was punched in the stomach. Matt pressed the attack to keep Ken off balance and slammed two strikes down on his sword before smacking him with the back of his hand. Ken hit the ground on his stomach.

Matt grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head up.

"This is the best you've got? You're pathetic!" he hissed as Ken grimaced in pain. "No wonder your parents don't love you. Your brother would have done better, and yet you killed him, Ken. Why?"

The raven-haired boy hissed in pain, but managed to get some words out. "Shut up! It was an accident!" he shouted.

"No it wasn't! You murdered him!"

"LIAR!"

Ken kicked Matt off. His breath came out raggedly as rage filled him. His eyes were fixed right on the blonde teenager in front of him. Matt smiled. This was exactly what he wanted to see. He held his shinai with its tip pointed upwards.

Ken made the first move this time and attacked with such ferocity that Matt was put back on his heels for the first time. He blocked and counterattacked in the way his Djem So style taught, but Ken was extremely powerful. He and Tai used to spar all the time at Gennai's house, but this was on a completely different level.

"My brother's death was an accident!" Ken shouted as he struck from all angles. Matt rose his sword to block every single attack until they finally locked together. "I couldn't control my powers when it happened. My anger drove the lightning out of me."

Matt wrestled their arms to the side, but Ken timed it perfectly with a backhand across the face. The attack stunned Matt briefly, but it allowed Ken to take control of the match. The raven-haired boy put all of his strength into the next attack as he slammed his sword on top of Matt's. The power was incredible. Matt lost his balance and fell to the ground. Ken dove right in and pointed the sword at his throat.

Ken panted heavily as the anger that took control of him dissipated. He and Matt locked eyes. The blonde was also panting from exhaustion as he lay on the tatami mat.

"So," Ken wheezed. "How _–Gasp–_Did–_Gasp–_I–_Gasp–_Do?"

A smile played on the blonde's lips. This went exactly the way he imagined it would go.

"I think that we may have use for you yet," he said. "Your power is still incredible. You might be even better than Tai, if I may say so."

Ken pointed his sword away from Matt and threw it on the mat. He stuck his hand out and the blonde took it, pulling him up from the ground.

"Thanks," Ken nodded. "I know I cannot make up for what I have done before, but I want a chance to do something good for a change. Whatever else you need me to do, I'll do it. I'll do anything to be a true Destined Jedi."

Matt's smile grew wider.

"That's the kind of attitude I like to hear," he replied. "It's not going to be easy, Ken. One question still needs to be answered. How would we be able to trust you going forward? Why should _we _trust _you_?"

Ken looked down at the ground and thought about it. Why should the Jedi trust him, especially after all the horrible things he had done to them? Then it hit him. He answered with a low tone.

"I have nothing left," he mumbled. "I'm not Ken Ichijouji, boy genius; I'm not the Digimon Emperor anymore either. I'm just Ken. The real Ken is struggling to reinvent himself after everything he's done. No one has given me a chance: Not my parents; not my classmates; not my teachers; nobody."

Ken sniffled as tears started to wash down his face. "I just want someone I can talk to about my problems. Someone that can look past the mask I wear and see that I'm hurting inside. If you guys want me to get lost, just tell me to get lost now. I'll go away."

Whatever anger Matt felt towards Ken before now was completely washed out of him. The boy really was just like him when he was that age: Full of anger, frustration, and like the world was better off without him. Gennai's death, his responsibility as a Destined Jedi, having to protect TK, and still reeling from his parents' divorce was a lethal cocktail that almost caused him to kill Tai and Joe. He finally understood now.

He wrapped Ken in a comforting hug.

"You don't have to do this alone," he whispered as Ken continued to cry. "None of us do. You and I are alike in many ways, Ken. I used to have so much anger inside of me that it nearly destroyed me." He gestured to the scar over his eye. "Instead, it got me this. Just like it did you."

Ken pushed back from Matt's embrace and traced the scar over the entire right side of his face. Instantly, he felt a bond between the two of them. They were almost one in the same.

"But why would you want to take a chance on me?" he asked. "I have done nothing but awful things."

"That is true," Matt nodded. "But now is your chance to redeem yourself, like you just talked about."

"Because we will take you on now, Ken."

The two boys turned around and saw Tai, Kari, Davis, and TK all come out from the computer room. They had been watching from a crack in the door the whole time. Ken blushed bashfully, not aware that they had been there.

"H-Hi," he said shyly.

Tai stepped forward and patted Matt on the shoulder.

"Nice work, Matt," he said with a smile before turning his attention to Ken. "Ken, we would like to have you join us. Before we do, though, we want to allow you the chance to show us why we can fully trust you."

Ken cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean by that, Tai?" he asked.

"We'll give you a trial period for now," the Jedi of Courage replied.

"How long?"

"A month."

Ken's eyes went wide. "A month?"

"You want me to make it a week?" Tai shot back.

"No, no," Ken bowed his head. "A month is fine."

Tai smiled and put a hand on Ken's shoulder. "Hey, we'll do everything we can to help you succeed. That is why I am assigning you to Matt. He will be your master through that trial period." He stuck a hand out. "Welcome aboard, Ken."

The black-haired boy looked at the hand in shock. Was this really happening? His hand shook as he reached up to take Tai's hand and shook it. The three younger Jedi clapped in celebration.

"Thank you," he said, tears brimming around his eyes again. "This means more to me than you know."

"Not to worry, Ken," Tai smiled and patted his shoulder again. "I think that this will work out fine."

The Jedi were all so busy congratulating him that they failed to notice the man looking in just outside one of the open doors. He jotted down some notes before pulling out a cellphone. A smile played on his lips.

* * *

**And just like that, Ken has begun his trial period to prove himself worthy of being a full member of the ****group. How will the other Jedi take the news? What's next? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**The more I wrote this chapter, the more sorry I feel for Ken. Everybody hates him, and there's nothing he can do about it. He just wants one person to believe in him and see who he really is. Davis looks like he may be willing to come around too. We will see ;-)**

**Eleven days to Kizuna, guys! Hopefully all this craziness will go away by then and we can all enjoy the movie. I'm so excited. I am also excited about releasing my version of Kizuna in the future for you guys too. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe. Stay alert, but don't give in to fear. Be sensible and protect yourself. **

**Have a safe and blessed week, and I will see you all next weekend. **


	30. Arukenimon and Mummymon

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thanks for the reviews, Odd. No worries, mate. Just glad you still like the story. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yeah, guess who XD**

**Music Chick: Absolutely it was. Glad that I am still blowing you away after all this time. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thanks a lot, Greymon. It means a lot to me. You haven't seen anything yet ;-)**

**Special shout out to audetjac000 for the favorite and follow. Thanks a lot.**

* * *

**Hey, guys. COVID-19 may still be wrecking our world, but it is not stopping me from trucking on. A little depressed that Kizuna got postponed; I would have driven through the worst storm imaginable and crawled over broken glass to see that movie. But alas, there is nothing I can do about it. We will see it soon, so I'm using that to get me through this time. I don't know what I would do right now if I didn't have writing and all of you guys supporting me. **

**In the meantime, Ken has been permitted to join the team on a trial period to see whether or not he's worthy of being accepted as a full member. What will happen next? Find out, but for now, it is time to give two specific characters their official inauspicious debut into the story. **

* * *

An overpowering sense of trepidation filled the two figures as they stepped down the hall, unsure of what to expect when they reached the door. Their master had called for them, and he did not sound very happy. They had lived with him long enough to know that when their master was not happy, it was not good news for them.

One was taller with a large hat on her head and sunglasses over her eyes. Long, silver hair spilled from under the hat like a waterfall, blending with her pale skin. She must have had a thing for red because she was covered in it. Even her elbow-length gloves were red. A spider brooch rested just above the brim of her hat. Her face was neutral and unwavering, but her lip curled with nervous tension.

The other was almost equally as tall, but the hat on his head added a few extra inches. A long blue coat wrapped around his body and gloves covered his hands. No one could make out what he looked like save for one golden eye peeking out from beneath his hat and behind his coat.

"We're in trouble. I just know it," the blue figure whimpered in a soft voice.

"Be quiet, Mummymon," the red clad woman snapped. "I have no time for your blubbering. Master has a plan in mind." She grumbled. "I just wish he would let us destroy them already. Now that young Ichijouji has joined _them_, those pests will be on our trail when he tells them everything."

"You assume too much, Arukenimon," the figure now known as Mummymon replied. "Do you think Master suspects they will come for us?"

"I don't know," Arukenimon's eyes flashed darkly. "For now, those meddling kids are no threat to us."

"Have you ever encountered a Destined Jedi before, Arukenimon?" Mummymon shot back.

The woman bit her lip, her words caught in her throat. "Well, no. But –"

"They're dangerous. I've watched them from afar this whole time. Don't underestimate them."

"_You _assume too much."

The two of them reached the door and walked inside. The room was pitch black, but then the small lights of candles on the far side of the room caught their attention. A man sat in a meditative position in front of them. His dark hood sat on top of his head, obscuring the rest of his face.

"Master, you called?" Arukenimon said.

The man lifted his head up, revealing a bit of his pale grey face behind the waterfall of black hair. His tongue flickered out from his mouth like a snake for a brief second.

"The Force grows every day within the Digital World," the man hissed, staring at the wall in front of him. "It seems that the effects from Ken's takeover have been diminished."

Arukenimon frowned. "I told you we should have killed him when we had the chance, Master."

"Silence, Arukenimon!" Their master growled. "The plan has shifted. We're going to have to go big or go home. I have a different job for you two now."

"What is this job, Master?" Mummymon asked.

The man took a breath and stood up from his seated position, turning towards the two figures. The candlelight now coming from the back made him look even more dark and mysterious.

"I want you to cause enough trouble in the Digital World that the Destined Jedi have to come back," he said. "Once they arrive, I want you to bring Ken and the Jedi that defeated him back to me alive and unspoiled. Kill the others if you wish."

Arukenimon and Mummymon smirked deviously. Their time had finally arrived to get some action. They were growing tired of hiding in the shadows for so long.

"At last," Arukenimon slid her tongue across her teeth, feeling the thrill of the hunt at hand. "We shall finally reveal ourselves to the Jedi."

"They won't know what hit them, Master," Mummymon echoed. "Their pestilence will be eradicated forever when we are through. We will have our revenge on those who have opposed us."

Their master smiled deviously behind his drapes of black hair and the darkness of his hood.

"You have learned well, my friends," he hissed proudly. "They will be no match for you."

* * *

"Somebody, kill me!"

Tai Kamiya buried his face in his hands as he moaned in exhaustion. His pants and underwear were pooled down around his ankles as he sat on the toilet. He had been sitting there for almost twenty minutes. Some of his deposits were in the vault already, but there was still more waiting to be cashed in.

"Alright, come on," he grunted and tightened up. He pushed so hard that he felt like a blood vessel was going to burst in his temple. Nature started to resume its course and soon everything that was backed up forced itself out.

Tai sighed in relief once he finished, feeling like he just reached nirvana. He reached for the toilet paper on the side and wiped his butt free of anything that remained. The toilet flushed noisily as he pulled his shorts back up and went to the sink to wash his hands.

About ten seconds into his hand washing, Tai noticed something in his hair. He turned the faucet off and took a closer look. He eyed every single aspect of his hair, having just gotten it trimmed a little while ago.

Then he saw it.

"Aw man," he groaned, then looked back behind him to shout, "Moooom!"

Mrs. Kamiya danced around the kitchen to the sound of Wham!'s "Credit Card Baby" playing on the stereo nearby. She was busy baking a cake. No particular reason. There was no special occasion; Kari's birthday was not until March, Tai's was back in May; her husband's in July; and hers was not until November. She just felt like making one today. The music was low enough, however, that she could still hear her son.

"Yes, honey?" she responded as she mixed the batter together, slightly worried by the tone of his voice.

"I think the lady messed up my hair," Tai whined.

"Oh no! Really? I thought it looked fine."

"One side is shorter than the other!"

Mrs. Kamiya replied with a sharp sigh. Tai had a nasty habit of being a complete drama queen about this. He was like a teenage girl when it came to worrying about his hair.

"Tai, you'll have to come to me so I can see," she said. "I'm busy making a cake."

The teenager opened the door to the bathroom with a mopey expression on his face and trudged over to his mother.

"Alright, where is this uneven end?" she asked, putting down the mixing bowl and spoon.

Tai pointed to a spot just above his forehead. Mrs. Kamiya took a closer look and inspected it carefully. After a few seconds, she frowned and went back to baking.

"Tai, I don't see what you're seeing," she said. "It looks fine to me. Didn't you tell the lady after she finished? Why did you leave without speaking up?"

"I didn't see it then!" Tai whined. "Mom, I can't go outside like this. If a friend sees me, they'll make fun of me."

His mother shrugged. "Wear a hat then."

The Jedi of Courage gave his mother an annoyed glare. One eyebrow was raised higher than the other.

"A hat?" he repeated incredulously. "And mess these gorgeous locks up more than they already have been?"

Mrs. Kamiya was at the end of her rope. Her voice started to show the irritation as she groaned before saying, "I don't know what else you want me to say, sweetie. Either go back right now wearing a hat to get it fixed, or just deal with it!"

"I hate you!" Tai groaned as he zombie-walked to the couch and fell face first into a pillow, wallowing in agony. This was perhaps the worst day of his life. If Sora saw him like this, she would tease him about it forever. At least Kari was not around to see him. She was with Yolei for a girls' day out.

_Knock, knock! _

Mrs. Kamiya looked back towards the door. She would get it herself, but her hands were dirty with flour, cake mix, and egg whites.

"Tai, can you get the door please?" she asked. "My hands are dirty."

Tai moaned again, but got up and went to answer the door.

Izzy stood at the entryway panting with his hands on his knees and sweat pouring down his face. Tai blinked.

"Izzy?" he greeted in a lost tone. "What happened?"

The computer genius took a few moments to gather his breath, but still heaved for air as he spoke. "It's–_Gasp–_the_–Gasp–_haircut."

Tai squeaked slightly in internal panic as he touched his hair in fear.

"It–_Gasp–_was–_Gasp_–a–_Gasp–_bad–_Gasp–_joke."

Tai's face paled considerably. A bad joke? That could only mean…He lightly screamed, "I knew it! It _is _uneven!"

Izzy shot right up and looked at his friend with confusion. "What?" he asked. Then it came to him. He rolled his eyes and groaned, "No, not you!"

He moved past Tai and into the Kamiya household, taking off his shoes before he stepped on the hardwood floors. "Your stupid joke about Sora's haircut."

Mrs. Kamiya noticed their visitor as he came through the hallway past the kitchen.

"Izzy, hello," she greeted with a warm smile. "How wonderful to see you."

The Jedi of Knowledge returned the woman's greeting with a nod. "Hello, Mrs. Kamiya. Nice to see you too."

"Don't interrupt us, Mom," Tai said as they headed for his bedroom. "We've got some…_business _to talk about."

Mrs. Kamiya understood what he meant by 'business', and so she nodded. "Okay. I'll just be here making the cake."

"Thanks," her son replied as he and his friend entered the room. He closed the door behind them and answered Izzy's previous statement with an, "Oh."

Izzy glared at him. "That's all you have to say? Oh?"

"It was only a joke," was Tai's reply. "She knew that."

"That's not what Mimi told me," said Izzy. "She came to see me today. I swear, she comes to poke me enough to see how long it takes before I snap at her."

He stopped for a second and remembered something. "Although, every time she leaves I do find my room tidied up." A light blush spread across his face as he became lost in his thoughts.

Tai groaned and waved a hand in front of Izzy's face. The boy was off in dreamland right now.

"Hello? Come back!" he said.

Izzy came back down to earth with a blink.

"What did Mimi say?" Tai asked.

"Aren't you scared?" Izzy replied in a breathless panic. "You should be. Mimi told me about that stupid joke you made to Sora about her new haircut making her look like she had a mop on her head."

Tai couldn't help but snort. "Well, she did," she chuckled.

"This isn't funny!" the computer genius shouted. He calmed down a little before continuing. "Sora is mad. _Really_ mad, Tai. Mimi said it was so bad that Sora doesn't want to talk to you anymore. So bad that she might want to break up with you. I panicked and ran straight here."

Tai's face paled again, his heart racing with fear. This was the one thing he feared most: Sora not speaking to him. Whenever Sora was mad at him, she refused to talk for sometimes up to a month after whatever it was she was upset with him about happened. The worst was when he threw up in her hat when they were kids. He was seven, and was not feeling too well when he was at her house one day. It was hot, and he must have ate something bad. He couldn't reach the toilet in time, so he found the closest thing to him: Her hat. She didn't speak to him for _two _months after that.

"What?! But it was a joke!" he shrieked. "She was annoyed, but not mad enough that she would never want to talk to me again. Let alone break up with me."

"Well, guess what? You messed up!"

"What did Sora have to say?"

Izzy dismissed the question with a scoff. "What does it matter?"

Tai went into a blind rage and grabbed Izzy by his shirt. His hands turned into fists and twisted the cotton material. His teeth were clenched and bared in fury.

"You mean to tell me that you ran over here with only _half_ the information?" he shouted.

Izzy nodded. "Mm-hm."

"So there is a chance that Sora _didn't _actually say she thought about breaking up with me?" Tai then stopped. Something about that statement registered with his mind. His eyes widened in fear. "Wait, did you –"

"Did I what?" Izzy asked, worried about what Tai had to say.

Tai narrowed his eyes, anger rising within him as he started shaking Izzy. "You told Mimi that Sora and I were dating, didn't you?!" he roared.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the Jedi of Knowledge replied fearfully. "I didn't, I didn't! I swear!"

"Izzy!" Tai whined. "We trusted you!"

"I didn't break your trust! Why would I? I'm your best friend!"

The Jedi of Courage pulled the one of Knowledge closer to him until their foreheads were touching. He hissed slowly, "Then how did Mimi know to say Sora was mad enough to want to break up with me?"

"Those were my words, not hers!" Izzy hissed back. "Your secret is still safe. Honest. Be grateful that I came straight here so you can fix it, you idiot."

The two glared at each other, their eyes never leaving each other. It soon turned into a staring contest to see who could break their contemptuous glare first.

Tai was the first to back down, easing his glare just a bit. "Then next time, start off with that!" he growled as he released Izzy's shirt and pushed him back.

He walked over to his bed and sat on the bottom bunk with his face in his hands. This was stressful! After taking a few deep breaths, he looked back up to meet Izzy's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "This whole secrecy has been driving me crazy. I can't stand when Sora's mad at me, and now I have to worry about everyone finding out on top of that."

Izzy readjusted his shirt and kneeled down in front of Tai. "If it's so bad, then just tell everyone you guys are going out," he said.

Tai shook his head. "No, not right now. It's not the right time. If Sora's going to stay mad at me, it's not worth saying anyway."

"The only way that won't happen is if you tell her you're sorry," Izzy replied in a much gentler voice. "She'll probably forgive you if you do it soon."

Tai nodded absentmindedly. His body was numb with dread, wishing he could take back that stupid joke he had made.

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled. Then he nodded with much more confidence. "You're right. I should apologize. I'll do it."

A gentle smile spread over Izzy's face. "Good."

Something on Tai's head caught his attention. His eyes squinted as he took a closer look. "Tai?"

The Jedi of Courage groaned. "What now?"

"Is your hair uneven?"

Tai threw his hands up in the air and screamed. It was an ear-splitting scream that sounded like he just saw a rat. He grabbed a hat off the rack in his room and made a beeline for the front door.

"I KNEW IT!"

_SLAM!_

* * *

_Dear Sora, _

_I'm sorry about what I said. I haven't felt this bad since the time I accidentally threw up in your hat and didn't tell you about it before you put it on. I know our relationship has been a little stormy lately. You say you love thundershowers, so what's a few raindrops between us?_

Tai scrutinized every single word that he typed. So far, the message sounded good. But how should he end it? Well, it was a text message, so it wasn't like he needed to sign his name. It still felt like something was missing though.

It had been two days since Izzy came to his house to deliver the bad news. His hair got fixed, so his mind was now focused completely on Sora. He woke up early this morning to try and put a message together that would hopefully open her up to talking. He should be getting dressed for school right now, but this was more important. Tai didn't want Sora to be mad at him anymore.

A knock came at the door.

"Hey, Tai?" Kari said while poking her head through his bedroom door. "Have you seen my hairbrush?"

"Hmm," was Tai's only response as he continued to stare at the screen.

She frowned. "Tai, Davis is waiting for me. I really need to brush my hair."

"Hmm…"

What else could Tai say? It was tearing him up inside – Hold it. What was Kari doing?

Tai's brows furrowed. His body stiffened. The only thing that moved was his eyes as they met Kari's. "I feel you poking around my mind, Kari. New rule: Never, ever invade my thoughts."

"It's not like I want to," Kari replied, walking inside the room, "but I really need to get going and you're not answering me. Besides, how many times have I said not to use my…"

Tai tuned Kari out as he stared at the screen again. Maybe it was too personal? This was definitely too personal. A quick apology was better. As he thought how to change the message, he felt a presence behind him. Before he could process who it was, the voice said:

"Who're you writing to, Tai?"

Tai jumped with a scream, dropping the phone. "Kari! What the hell!"

Kari used the Force to grab the phone with a smirk. "Whoever it is, it seems more important than answering my quick question."

"Hey!" Tai jumped straight to his feet in panic. "Give that back!"

"Nope. Say where you put my hairbrush, then you'll get it back."

The two engaged in a stare down until Kari added with a mischievous grin, "Or, I could read your mind again, and this would all be over quickly."

"You wouldn't dare," Tai said while squinting his eyes, daring her to make the first move.

"Try me," Kari matched the same intensity.

"Give me!" he launched forward to grab his phone.

Kari anticipated his move, and used the Force to hold him back while she playfully held his phone away. "Too slow!"

"Give me it!" he struggled to break free.

"Sorry!" She laughed.

"Let go!"

"Next time!"

"Ah, who cares," Tai sighed in defeat. He sat backwards again on his desk chair, folding his arms while resting them on the backrest with his chin on top of his arms. "It's just a text message to Sora."

Kari frowned. "That's it?" Reading the message, she rolled her eyes. "This is more important?"

Tai stayed quiet while staring at the wooden floor. He didn't expect his sister to understand. It wasn't like –

"Hey!" Tai protested as he sat straight in his chair. "Stop it! Get out of my head!"

She gasped. "You left my hairbrush in your locker? Tai!"

Kari slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. "How many times have I said to leave my brush alone and get your own?"

"Mine brooooke," he whined, remaining in his same position. "I meant to bring it back."

Kari silently fumed. She ignored Tai holding out his hand for the phone and read the text message again. That mischievous grin appeared again after searching his thoughts.

"If you wanna send a text –" Tai stood to his feet in a flash. Kari held out a hand to hold him back, " – all you have to do…" she paused in mid sentience to type something extra to his text, "is press the send button."

"No!" Tai begged, struggling to get past the power of the Force. It was to no avail. "It's just a stupid hairbrush! I'll buy you another one!"

"It's the fourth time, big brother. Maybe now you'll leave mine alone. Besides," she grinned as she tossed the phone on his bed. She made a mad dash for the door, "Just tell her how you feel already. Tootles!"

'_If only you knew.' _Tai rushed to his phone, but could only stare at the screen in shock and horror. She ended the text with "Love, Tai."

"I wasn't gonna send that!" he shouted to his sister.

Kari poked her head back inside the room with a playful, "Then what did you write it for, big brother?"

"Oh, go to school already!" he shouted as Kari left the apartment with a smile.

Tai dropped to the floor in horror as he read the sent text message. "I can't believe Sora's gonna read my text."

He watched the clock on his nightstand, agonizing over the thought of Sora reading the text. That is, until he saw the notification that she did, but there was no response.

Five minutes. Ten. Twenty.

Nothing.

Tai laid flat on the floor as doom washed over him. He moaned. "I can't believe she's not gonna respond! You try to tell a girl you're sorry, and that's how she treats you?" He slammed his head against his desk. "Ugh, she hates me."

"Tai, you're going to be late for school!" his mother cried.

* * *

Izzy copied down notes from his Japanese History lecture with steel-trap concentration. The teacher was going on about Oda Nobunaga and how he came to unify Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century along with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. His wrist was a blur as his pencil scribbled across the paper with stunning speed and precision. When something important needed to be emphasized, he underlined the word three times.

Mimi sat two rows behind him to his left side, having a hard time staying awake. This lecture was so boring; she couldn't wait for it be over. Her eyes drifted over to the red-haired Jedi of Knowledge, amazed at how he kept his concentration.

In the back of her mind, Mimi had a feeling that Izzy was hiding something. When she told him the other day about Sora's anger at Tai, he reacted like he had been told his mother was dying. Being the nosy, have-to-know creature that she was, Mimi was annoyed at not knowing what was going on. She had to know.

The lecture passed by without incident, and the bell rang to signal the end of the school day. The class stood up and bowed to their teacher, thanking him for the lesson, before collecting their belongings.

In a mad dash to leave the room, Izzy got out ahead of Mimi before she could confront him. The Jedi of Sincerity was determined, however, to not let him get away. Her legs pumped in a fast walk to catch up.

"Izzy, can we talk?" she asked.

He shrugged while not breaking his stride. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"The other day," Mimi replied, matching his pace step for step.

Izzy kept his eyes pointed forward, not bothering to look at her. "What about it? I told you that I talked to Tai and he's getting it taken care of with Sora. Nothing to it."

"You were acting weird for something that was a simple quarrel," she shot back. Mimi grabbed his arm and pulled him against a wall.

"Mimi, what the he-" he protested before being cut off.

"You know something, Izzy Izumi. What is it?" she hissed. "Is there something else going on with Tai and Sora?"

Izzy's face turned a light shade of pink. Being this close to a girl made his head swim and his face heat up, even with Mimi's frightening glare.

"There's nothing going on," he replied. "It was just a misunderstanding between friends."

"Don't give me that. I've noticed they've been awkward around each other when they're with us. What is going on? You seem to know what it is."

Izzy gulped. Mimi may have been an airhead at times, but she was not dumb in any sense of the word. He had to give her a lot of credit. The light pink shade on his face darkened.

"You really want to know?" he asked.

"Yes," Mimi nodded.

_Ding! _

Izzy released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. He reached down to his pocket and saw a message notification on the D-Terminal. Saved by the email.

"Could you let me read this for a minute?" he asked.

Mimi nodded and let him go, allowing him to read the message.

_Sender: Unknown_

_To: Izzy Izumi_

_CC: Tai Kamiya, Sora Takenouchi, Matt Ishida, and eight others_

_Destined Jedi, _

_If you receive this message, we need your help as soon as possible. Something is happening at the old Giga House on the continent of Server. Dark forces are starting to come back to the Digital World. _

_Should you choose to help us, here are the coordinates to the house: _

_Lat. 66˚N, Long. 38˚W, sector V. _

_Please hurry! Time is of the essence. _

A feeling of dread washed over Izzy as he read the message over. The message itself was odd. With Ken defeated and beginning his trial period with the group, there should have been no evil left for them to fight against. Another red flag was the fact the sender's name was 'unknown'. If the situation was dire, they should have at least put their name to it.

"Something wrong?" Mimi asked.

Izzy nodded and said, "We need to get to the warehouse. There's trouble." He pulled out his D-Terminal and typed out a message.

_Izzy: Did you guys read that message on your D-Terminal?_

_Yes. _Tai answered a few seconds later, as did everyone else.

Tai: _Doesn't sound good. We've gotta get to the Digital World as soon as we can. _

_Sora: It could be something serious._ _Let's get going. _

_Roger._ Izzy typed back. _Mimi and I will be on our way to the warehouse. Meet us there. All of us are going. _

_Tai: You got it._

_Sora: See you in a few. _

_I'll try to get out as quickly as I can, Izzy. _Joe messaged.

_Izzy: Just be there, Joe._

Izzy tucked the D-Terminal back into his blazer pocket.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mimi said, taking his hand and whisking him off down the hall. "Let's go!"

* * *

The Destined Jedi emerged from the other side of the digital divide using the coordinates that were given in the D-Terminal message. Sure enough, there was a gigantic house in front of them. It was only two stories high and covered in pale yellow brick, but to the Jedi, they may as well have been staring up at Tokyo Tower.

Everything around the property was the scale of a giant's hand. The picket fence in front of the Jedi looked like an impassable fortress, the wide windows and sliding glass doors like skyscrapers, and the well-trimmed lawn was a dark, dense forest. This must have been what it felt like to be an insect, thought the Jedi. Small, insignificant, and powerless.

"That thing is ginormous," Davis gasped, his jaw almost to his collarbone.

"It lives up to its name for sure," TK agreed, awed by the scale of the house. "I'm not getting anything here, Izzy. Are you sure this is where the person who sent that message said they would be?"

"Affirmative," the computer genius replied. "Maybe they're inside. If darkness is festering inside that house, that's where they'll be."

Tai shifted and shook as a chill went up his arms. Something dark was in there. He couldn't tell what it was, but it gave him the willies.

"How are we going to get inside?" he asked. "There doesn't seem to be any small cracks in a windowsill or an opening in the door."

"I'm way ahead of you on that."

Everyone looked behind them at the sound of the new voice. Standing a few feet away was a boy with raven-black hair and light indigo eyes. A plain black yukata wrapped around him like a cloak of darkness. He smiled at them with a hesitant smile.

Matt walked up to him. "Hey, Ken," he greeted, patting him on the shoulder. "Glad you could make it."

Ken nodded in greeting, but did not say a word. He looked past the blonde Jedi to meet Tai's eyes.

"I did some scouting before you all got here and found several entry points," he continued. Ken sniffed the air. The scent of darkness surrounded the house. "But we must be careful. The dark side is strong here."

"What is it?" Tai asked.

"I don't know."

"How can you tell, Ken?" TK asked. "I can't feel anything from here. How do you know it's the dark side?"

The raven-haired boy kept his eyes focused straight ahead. His expression stayed concentrated the entire time as he said, "When you've spent your whole life in darkness, you know the scent of it like your own face."

The leader sighed and then turned to the rest of the team. "Okay, then let's split into three teams of four." Tai pointed to TK, Kari, Izzy, and Mimi. "You four go together and enter through an open window," then to Davis, Matt, Ken, and Cody. "And you four go together. Cover the sliding glass doors. Sora, Yolei, Joe, you guys are with me. We'll take the door."

Everyone nodded with determination.

"Let's go."

On the roof, keeping out of sight, Arukenimion watched the Jedi split off with her binocucom. A sick grin rose on her face. This plan was all too easy.

She lifted her communicator to her mouth. "Mummymon, they're coming. Be ready. This is going to be nice and easy."

"_Copy_," the mummy replied. "_I'm ready when you are_."

* * *

Tai and his group slashed a large gap in the door to get inside. They were in awe of the scale of everything. If the outside of the house was enormous, the inside felt like a vast cave that stretched on for miles. They had been transported into their own version of "_Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!_"

Yolei used the Force to help her jump up to the ledge above them. She pulled rope from her bag and let it down so that the others could climb up too. Within two minutes, all four Jedi stood on the hardwood floors.

"What now?" Joe asked. "Yolei, do you sense anything?"

The lavender-haired Jedi looked around the whole foyer, concentrating on getting a sniff of the dark presence that Ken had felt.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not getting anything."

"That's okay, Yolei," Sora patted her shoulder. "You tried. This dark presence seems to be a little slippery."

"We're going to have to split up," said Tai. "Joe, you take Yolei into the living room. Sora and I will scope out the main hallway."

"You got it, Tai," Joe replied with a nod as he and Yolei walked into the room to their right. What would have taken two steps in a regular house took almost ten times that here.

The Jedi of Courage and Love walked silently down the hallway, looking around for any trace of something suspicious. So far, nothing seemed wrong aside from the house being completely empty. Tai looked at Sora, but she refused to meet his gaze.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" he asked, looking around to make sure no one was listening.

Sora continued her silent stride, not bothering to look at him.

"Come on, Sora. Talk to me."

"Go away, Tai," the auburn-haired Jedi bit with a flustered face.

Tai shook his head, giving her an admonishing gaze. "Can't do that," he said. "We have to stick together here."

Sora stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. The words she wanted to say filled her throat, but would not come out. She wasn't sure what to do between responding to his text message and shouting at him for what a stupid joke he made. Instead of answering, she turned away. Her arms folded across her chest as she stuck her nose to the ceiling.

"Sorry. Can't hear you," she said with an angry huff. "My _mop hair _is covering my ears."

"It was a joke!" Tai replied, struggling to keep his voice down. "I didn't mean anything by it."

Sora knew he meant it, but her stubbornness did not allow her to give in.

As the tug of war inside her raged on, she blurted out, "You annoy me! Like, royally annoy me."

Tai hissed at her, "You're just as much of a pain. Why do you always have to be such a drama queen about this stuff?"

"I'm not a drama queen! You're an idiot!"

"That makes two of us. Just forgive me already, and let's move on. Please? I'm sorry."

Sora scrunched her lip as she started to give in. Even so, she still refused to turn around to meet his eyes. She grunted.

"Smooth move with the thundershowers and the," she looked down with a blush, "_love _part. Did you really mean that?"

"Y-Yeah I meant it," Tai replied as he stumbled over his words. He looked at her with earnest hope. "Are you done being mad at me now?"

Sora's face fell hearing the slight hesitation. Her left foot skimmed lightly across the hardwood floor panel below her.

"So you didn't mean it?" she asked with slight disappointment.

Tai took her hand into his. He first checked around the hallway to make sure none of the other Jedi came around the corner to see them. When the coast was clear, he gave her a warm smile.

"I do," he whispered. "I do mean it."

Sora blushed, and gave him a quick hug. "I'm sorry, Tai," she whispered.

Tai accepted the hug, squeezing her tightly. "Me too," he replied in a hushed voice before letting her go. "Now, let's get moving. We have a job to do."

Sora nodded with a bright smile. Tai was relieved she wasn't upset with him anymore as the two continued down the hall.

* * *

At the sliding glass doors, Matt looked up at the handle. It was as tall as the World Trade Center practically; there was no way to get up there and pull it. No matter, he thought.

In a quick flash, his saber roared to life and plunged into the glass. Matt cut in a large circle until he reached the end. The sculpted glass fell from the window and shattered on the ground.

The Jedi of Friendship carefully stepped over the sharp glass of the door and into the house, being mindful where he stepped.

"Okay," he said, stretching out his hands, "who's next?"

Ken was first to volunteer. Matt took his hands and guided him into the house. Davis came in after him, with both Jedi assisting him. When Cody came up, he gave Ken a hateful glare.

"Don't touch me," he growled as Matt guided him in.

Ken's face fell as his eyes gazed sadly at the ground. He bit his lip, but did not say another word.

"Be careful, guys. There's glass everywhere." Matt cautioned. "Follow me."

The group of four walked through what seemed to be the kitchen. The oven was about the size of a parking garage, and the fridge a mountain. So far, there were no signs of anything evil in the house. It was too quiet and calm for their liking. If Matt's past experiences taught him anything, it was to question everything he saw. Nothing was always what it seemed.

Ken dragged his feet along, his face still mopey after getting a taste of Cody's cold shoulder. Having Matt around was something he still was getting used to after being alone for so long. It felt nice to have someone to talk to, but it wasn't the same as having a friend. Cody made it clear he had no intentions of doing that.

Davis looked at Ken out of the corner of his eye. He could not help but feel sorry for him at all the cold treatment he was getting from Cody. Several of the others had a hard time accepting him on the team too, even if it was just for a trial period. It was strange. Just a couple weeks ago, he would have killed Ken without hesitation. Now, however, it was like everything did a 180.

He dragged behind Matt a couple steps so that he walked alongside Ken. The raven-haired boy glanced up, and Davis gave him a warm smile. Ken returned it with a nervous smile of his own and looked back at the floor.

The kitchen got the all clear after a few more close inspections. Or so it seemed. As the group walked toward the entry into the hallway, Ken sensed something behind them. The dark feeling he sensed earlier grew.

"Wait," he said.

"What is it, Ken?" Matt asked.

"Do you guys hear that?"

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. _

A bead of sweat trickled down Davis' forehead. His hand latched onto the assuring cold metal of his lightsaber. The presence blanketed the entire room. They were surrounded.

Something charged at them from behind.

Davis spun around, unleashing his lightsaber and slashed to his left. A dying scream was heard before an explosion of data. Matt and Cody were quick to join in and attack. Out of the cupboards and from the sink, cockroaches spilled out to surround the Jedi.

"It was a trap," Davis grumbled, slashing one of the insect's arms off before plunging his saber into its body.

"Ken, get out of here!" Matt yelled over the sound of lightsaber attacks and screams from the cockroaches when they were destroyed. "Go get help!"

Without his saber, Ken knew there was nothing he could really do to help. As much as he didn't want to abandon them, he nodded and ran out of the kitchen to seek help. He tore off down the hallway, using the Force to enhance his speed.

He went from room to room, but found no one. None of the Jedi were in the area. This was not good. Where was everyone? They all should have been inside the house by now.

The sound of a flute being played caught his attention. He looked around. Where was it coming from? His eyes fell on the closed door to his right. The flute sounded stronger here. Ken crawled under the doorway and found himself in complete darkness. The smell of mothballs blasted his nose.

The flute had stopped playing. Ken was now surrounded in darkness with no idea what to do next. Maybe he had just been hearing things.

"The Force is with you, Ken," a sneering female voice said from above. "But you are not a Jedi yet."

Ken spun around. A light from a hole in the wall outlined a tall woman with a large hat. "Who are you?" he asked. "What do you want with us?"

"_Us_?" the woman snickered. "You may think you're one of the Jedi now, little boy, but you're not. Even if you'd like to be. Our master is waiting for you to come home. Fulfill your destiny."

Ken narrowed his eyes and reached for his waist on instinct. "I'll never go back!" he roared and pulled his hand off, expecting a saber in his fingertips.

Arukenimon cackled loudly.

Ken looked at his hand and saw nothing there. He blushed with embarrassment remembering that he lost his saber long ago. His hand dropped behind his back.

"Look at this! A Jedi that's all bark and no saber," the woman laughed hysterically. Her red saber flashed with a bone-chilling sound. "Well, here's mine. You're defenseless, and all alone."

"That's what you think!" Ken shot back. "I can still use the Force to stop you."

A Force wave shot out of his hand. Arukenimon crossed over to her right to avoid the attack. Ken was stunned by how quick her movements were. She moved almost like a spider.

"Ooh, glorified magic. How quaint," Arukenimon replied dismissively. "Here's some magic for you. Mummymon!"

_Whack! _

Ken slumped over from the blow. The cloaked figure stopped the boy before he hit the floor and placed him over his shoulder. Ken was out cold.

"All too easy," Mummymon smirked. "Let's go before the Jedi can catch us."

"Not so fast," Arukenimon admonished, jumping down to meet him. "We still have to capture the other little brat and kill the others. Master instructed us to bring both of them to him."

The mummy sighed, but nodded. He reached into his cloak and took a saber out of it.

"Then let's hunt some Jedi," he said with an excited growl.

* * *

Matt and his two charges sprinted down the hall at full speed, desperate to get away from the cockroaches chasing them.

"They're gaining on us!" Davis shouted. "Go faster, Matt!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, Davis!" Matt shot back. A slightly ajar door came up on their left. "Over there!"

The three Jedi dove into the room and slammed the door with their feet before the cockroaches could gain a foothold. Matt panted heavily, as did the other two boys. The adrenaline that ran through them slowly faded, and they took the opportunity to check their surroundings.

They were in a study of sorts. The bookshelves towered high above them, filled with dozens, if not hundreds, of books on nearly every subject. On the far side of the room was a desk and a computer. The screen was the size of a jumbotron in a sports stadium. Matt snickered to himself. Izzy would do some serious damage with a computer like that.

"Guys!"

Matt turned to his right and saw TK's group was also in the room. He sighed in relief, allowing a smile to play on his lips. Seeing friendly faces put him at ease. Izzy stared at the giant computer with a reverential stare as Mimi tried to pull him away. Kari joined TK's side as they went to greet the newcomers.

"TK," Matt acknowledged with a nod. "You guys okay?"

"We're fine," the younger blonde replied. "It's you guys I should be asking if you're okay."

"Barely alive. Thanks, TP," Davis said. This time, the insult was laced with teasing rather than the usual contempt. "We had to play exterminator for a little while back there."

TK shrugged off the intentional misspelling of his name this time. There was no use getting riled up at Davis in this situation. He looked past them and noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Ken?" he asked.

"Who cares," Cody grumbled. "Hopefully he's far away from here."

Davis lightly flicked the boy's head. "That's enough, Cody," he said sternly. "Whether you like it or not, he's on our team for now."

"Trust me, I don't like it." Cody shot back, rubbing the spot where Davis flicked him.

"Then I'm sure you don't care about what happens to him," a female voice snickered above them.

The Jedi looked up at the top of a shelf. Two figures they had never seen before sneered down at them. One was dressed all in red, while the other was in blue. Over the blue one's shoulder was something wrapped in white bandages. It laid the wrapped up body down to reveal the figure's identity.

"Ken!" Matt cried. His green lightsaber roared to life. "You let him go!"

The woman clicked her tongue. "Nice to meet you too," she said in mock offense. "These are the Destined Jedi? If that's the best Homeostasis could do, then it must have run out of good options. Don't you think so, Mummymon?"

"I concur with that, Arukenimon," Mummymon returned with a nod. His mouth stuck up from behind his jacket as he spoke. "If you must know, we're simply taking him back to our master."

"Give Ken back!" Davis shouted, activating his saber. "He's not going anywhere!"

The woman's sunglasses shined with an evil gleam. Her eyes were fixed right on TK, his goggles sitting proudly on the brim of his hat. This was the one their master wanted them to get. Power radiated off the boy, as well as the stench of something else. Arukenimon smirked. This would be too easy.

"You want him, then I propose a trade." She pointed a bony, gloved finger at TK. "We'll trade you the pathetic fallen Emperor for that little boy there. Our master wishes to speak with him."

The younger blonde relaxed in surprise. "What does your master want with me?" he challenged.

"Come with us, and you'll find out," Mummymon replied with a snicker. "Let's not make this harder than it has to be. You'll be saving your so-called friend if you do."

Matt stood protectively in front of his brother. "Over my dead body," he growled.

"That sounds like a reasonable exchange," Arukenimon nodded.

With Ken over his shoulder again, Mummymon leapt down with her to attack the Jedi. Their red lightsabers roared to life. Arukenimon went straight for the Jedi on the right, while Mummymon handled the three boys.

The first move the woman made was to eliminate the other three Jedi near TK. Izzy and Mimi were easy to handle. After blocking two strikes from them, she used a powerful Force wave to blow them into the legs of the desk. Kari was quickly disarmed and kicked in the jaw.

"Kari!" TK cried, seeing her lay on the ground. His eyes burned with anger, striking hard to get an opening to kill Arukenimon. The woman, though, was well trained in saber combat and matched his speed with ease.

Arukenimon jumped up onto a shelf to escape the pressure from down below, and TK followed right behind. They pressed their sabers against one another. The Jedi of Hope gnashed his teeth painfully to try and break through her defense, but his adversary kept her composure. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

"I sense great fear in you, young Jedi," she taunted. Her sunglasses kept any sparks out of her eyes. "Your pride is enormous; you have hate, and you have anger. But you don't use them."

"Stop it!" TK growled as he broke the lock. The beast he kept inside was finally being let out. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I know enough about all of you," the woman shot back as they resumed their dance of death. The ledge was so narrow that the slightest movement would send someone plummeting to their death. "Your thoughts betray you, young Jedi," she looked down at Kari, who was now helping Matt's group fight Mummymon. "I know how much it hurt you when she didn't return your feelings."

"SHUT UP!" TK roared, throwing everything into his next attacks. His mind shut down and his body reacted on instinct. He ignored the pain in his arms as he swung his saber in every direction.

'_Excellent,' _Arukenimon thought with glee. _'I have him right where I want him.' _

While stuck in her thoughts, TK tied up their sabers and reached for her throat. His hand squeezed around her neck. Arukenimon dropped her saber as TK pressed her against a book spine.

"Whoever your master is, tell him we send a message," he growled with utter hatred. "Tell him that if you so much as come near us again, I will personally slice you and your partner to pieces."

A sudden cry interrupted them. TK looked down and saw Matt down on the floor, his head bleeding.

"Matt!" he cried.

Arukenimon sneered. Now was her chance. She called her saber back to her hand and activated it. TK was so surprised that he couldn't react in time. With one fell swoop, Arukenimon scratched him on the bicep of his yukata. The cloth tore away to reveal the smoldering scratch on his skin.

TK's hand went right for his arm, covering the wound. The move allowed Arukenimon an opening for a Force push. TK fell from the bookshelf down to the floor. He adjusted his landing position so that he hit the ground on his feet.

"I think we've had enough fun for today, Mummymon. Let's go," Arukenimon said to her companion. "Leave the boy."

The mummy squeaked in surprise. "What? But Master said –"

"We'll have a greater surprise in store for him later," the woman explained. "For now, let's go."

The mummy heard the door pop open, sensing the presence of the four remaining Destined Jedi that were not in the room. He and Arukenimon were strong, but not strong enough to take on all eleven Destined Jedi with Ken knocked out. It was better to live and fight another day.

"As you wish."

Mummymon jumped out of the circle and made a break for the top of the desk, leaving Ken behind. Tai and his group burst through the door, lightsabers drawn, but the two fiends escaped out the window.

Tai couldn't believe the scene in front of him. Ken was unconscious, TK gritted his teeth in pain as he held his hand over the wound on his arm. What had happened? Yolei went over to TK to heal the scratch.

"Who were those two?" he asked Matt.

"They were the evil in the house," was the Jedi of Friendship's sharp reply. "Now I know why we're still here. There's more out there. We've got to be ready for it."

Tai stared out the window, wondering just how they were going to deal with this new evil. Things had taken a turn. He also had a feeling that the group's dynamic would change because of it too.

* * *

**With these new adversaries, what will the Destined Jedi do next, and just how will things change? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Plenty of callbacks in this chapter, from 'Empire Strikes Back' to 'Our War Games'. Since I didn't do a version of 'War Games', I decided to just sprinkle some of the major events (Mom baking a cake, Tai saying something stupid to Sora, the message, etc.) into this story. Hope you guys enjoyed them. **

**I also did my best to totally deviate Arukenimon and Mummymon from their series interpretations. Much more calculating and dark than just being Digimon's Jessie and James. They kinda wore out their welcome as the series went on if you ask me. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter because next week, things are going to change in a big way for the Jedi. Some of you may have figured it out already, but it will shock you. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe. During these crazy times, I am wanting to hear as much feedback from you guys as you can give me. It makes me feel good to hear what you guys think. **

**See you all next weekend. Take care of yourselves. We'll get through this together. **


	31. Corrupted Hope

**Reviews: **

**GuardianAngel1234567: It'll get there. Just be patient. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes he is. Things are only going to get worse I'm afraid. **

**Lord Jaric: Yup. **

**Music Chick: Probably a lot. Ken did some pretty awful things to all of them, and especially him. We will have to see about that. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thank you for the kind words, Greymon. I am doing alright. Hope you are doing fine yourself. You are gonna love what is coming. I promise you. **

**Thanks to Elgv for the follow.**

* * *

**Hey, gang. Hope you are all doing well with social distancing and being on lock down. Sorry for getting this out a little later than normal today, but I was distracted by writing more stuff for my version of Kizuna as a way to deal with not getting to go to the movie on Wednesday. I'm really excited to get to it, but ATOE and ROTI come first before I ****can post it. **

**Well, guys, we have reached the point I'm sure many of you have been waiting for. Let's get right to it. I was late enough today.**

* * *

"You tell him."

"_You _tell him."

"You're the one who left our hostage behind!" Arukenimon growled inches from Mummymon's face. "_You _tell him why the mission was a failure."

If the mummy's face could pale, it would right there. His master was ruthless in his punishments whenever the two of them messed up. He shuddered from the memories of Force lightning and other punishments too horrible to talk about.

"Alright, I will." Mummymon said with a huff.

He opened the door to their master's chambers and walked inside. As usual, the room was dark and lit only by candles at the far end of the room. The familiar dark figure sat silently in front of the candles.

Mummymon swallowed his fear. "M-Master?"

"Did you bring me what I asked for, Mummymon?" his master said in a soft, optimistic voice.

A nervous sweat dotted the Digimon's brow. This was so terrifying. He could feel the Force lightning surging through him already.

"Um…" he pulled at his collar. "We had him for a moment, but there were some–_gulp–complications_."

The man got up from his meditative position on the floor. From behind the veil of black hair, his eyes glared knives into his charge. Mummymon shook with uncontrollable fear.

His master gave a warm smile.

"It's alright," he said in a surprising comforting tone. "Complications do tend to happen. I can understand that." His face twitched. "What I can't understand is why you _**LET HIM GO WHEN YOU HAD HIM, YOU IDIOT!**_"

Mummymon whimpered at the outburst, cringing as he looked away. "I'm sorry, Master. The Jedi caught up with us."

The man looked ready to strangle him. "You're telling me that you aborted the mission because you were scared of a few brats?" he growled.

"There were too many of them."

"Honestly, why do I even bother trying with the two of you if you cannot do a simple errand?"

"We're sorry, Master. It won't happen again. Just give us another chance. We'll get them this time. Arukenimon said –"

"ARUKENIMON!"

The lady in red went through the door in a second at the sound of her master's call.

"Yes, Master," she replied.

"What was it that you said?" the master hissed, eyeing her dangerously. "Tell me. I'm dying to hear it."

Arukenimon gulped, taking a breath to calm herself. Opening her mouth, she began.

* * *

Ken walked off the school grounds by himself. It had become so normal at this point that he was used to not having someone walk home with him. Not that he minded, of course. Everyone was still very wary and didn't want to be within ten feet of him. Everyone except for Matt and –

"Yo! Ken!"

'_Davis.' _Ken finished, looking to his right. The voice calling his name was coming from that direction. Davis was doing his best to navigate the crowd going the opposite way he was coming. Ken chuckled to himself and walked toward him to make it easier.

"What are you doing here, Davis?" he asked. "Don't you have Saturday school too?"

"Nah," Davis shrugged. "We were off today."

"Lucky."

Davis' hands balled into nervous fists, then unclenched. An awkward silence fell over them. He had spent his whole journey to Tamachi hyping himself up for what he was going to do. Now that he was in the moment, his tongue twisted itself in a knot.

He willed his next words out, coming out a bit dry.

"Mind if I walk with you for a bit?" he asked.

Ken nodded with a nervous smile. "Sure."

The two walked the streets in just the way unsteady acquaintances would when seeing each other. Ken hardly glanced at the boy next to him, while Davis would smile at him. It was a nervous smile trying to appear warm and comforting. Davis was unsure of what to say.

While waiting for the pedestrian light to change, Ken broke the ice.

"Why are you here, if you don't mind me asking, Davis?"

Davis wiped away the nervous sweat starting to gather on his brow. Thank goodness Ken decided to speak first. It made him feel a bit better talking now.

"I was just checking to see how that bump on your head was," he said. "You were out for quite a while."

Ken's hand went directly to his head. His fingers touched the small protrusion at the back of his skull where Mummymon had wacked him unconscious.

"It's doing better, I guess," he replied with a shrug. "You came out here just to ask me that?"

Davis shook his head. "Not exactly. I had a feeling that you might have needed me right now." He ran his tongue over his lips. "Ken, I have had a strong feeling towards you these last few days. It's like I see you now, and it reminds me of _Spirited Away _almost. You're Sen struggling to adapt to her new surroundings, and need someone to look after you, to show you kindness. To want to be your friend."

Ken looked at him blankly. He was not really sure where this was going.

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"What I'm trying to say is that I want to try and be friends with you. I see all the looks everyone still gives you, especially Cody, and I can't stand it any longer. I can feel it in your heart that all you want is for someone to try and be your friend. I know you're not evil anymore." Davis snorted. "And besides, anyone who can kick my butt in soccer is someone valuable to keep around."

Ken couldn't help but laugh at that comment either. This was a strange feeling. Having someone to laugh with was something he had never experienced before. It was odd, but at the same time it felt nice. Then Davis' words officially sunk in. His eyes widened.

"Wait, friends?" he asked, making sure he heard right. "Why do you want to be friends with me, Davis? I've tried to kill you."

"That is true," Davis said with a nod. His eyes narrowed with seriousness. "It's because everyone should have a friend. Like Bob Ross once said, 'even trees need friends.'"

A warm feeling grew in Ken's heart. Someone actually wanted to be friends with him?

"But what about everyone else?" he replied, remembering the hostility towards him. "They hate me. Cody seems like he hates me the most."

"Eh, don't worry about the little squirt," Davis shrugged. "He has a hard time trusting people at first because of him losing his father when he was young." His eyes gleamed in realization. "Hey, it's kinda like when you lost your brother. You guys both lost someone dear in your family."

Ken's face fell. Davis instantly wished he could take what he said back. Once again, he shoved his foot right into his mouth in spite of his good intentions.

"Except for the part where Cody didn't murder his father," Ken murmured, his voice ridden with guilt. "I killed my brother, and I have to live with that guilt until the day I die." His eyes started to cloud with mist.

Davis nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. His face beamed with a warm smile when Ken looked up to make eye contact.

"But you don't have to bear that burden alone," he said in a soft voice. "I can't imagine what you've gone through, but you don't have to go through it alone."

"The others will never accept me," Ken insisted. "I've come to realize that now. You, Matt, and Tai are the only ones who have shown me any kindness."

Davis scratched the back of his head, knowing that this was true.

"The rest of the group just doesn't know who you are yet. Would you go to pet a dog you just met before letting it sniff your hand? Some dogs are friendlier than others. Some need more time to adjust.

"It's okay though. We have the Force on our side. And," he flashed Ken his famous beaming smile, followed by a thumb's up. "I'm sensing we're going to be really good friends. That's enough proof for me."

Ken thought about it. In the short time they were at least on friendly terms, Davis could read him like a book. It was freaky how, despite everything he had done to them before, someone was willing to take a chance on him because they wanted to see past the mask he wore and look at the real Ken. He almost wanted to cry, but kept himself together.

The light turned green and the two crossed the street with a small crowd. They walked a couple blocks.

A smile played on the corners of Ken's mouth as he shamefully said, "I've never had a friend before."

Davis halted his stride.

"Wait, never?" he asked with genuine surprise. It was too shocking to believe.

Ken shook his head. "No. Never."

A kind smile shot up Davis' face. He wrapped an arm around Ken's shoulders. The raven-haired boy was slightly taller than him, so he had to reach a little.

"Well, you have one now," he said.

Ken felt new warmth spread through his body. So this was what it felt like to have a friend. A few happy tears welled up in his eyes. He would have broken down crying if they weren't in public. He was so happy right now. The happiest he had ever felt.

As they walked with Davis' arm around Ken, the two soon walked in front of an Ichiran Ramen restaurant. Davis beamed.

"Ken, my friend, today is the start of a new day," he said. "Let's get some noodles to celebrate. It's on me," he smirked and added, "and Jun's cash that I found."

Ken laughed and nodded. "Sounds good, Davis."

* * *

TK tore his locker open and started taking off his school slippers. His eyes were narrowed in a dark glare. Since he woke up this morning, he had been in a foul mood for some reason. None of the other Jedi quite knew why, but he knew why. Ever since the battle with Arukenimon and Mummymon a few days ago, he had been unable to shake what the mysterious woman had said to him.

"_I know how much it hurt you that she didn't return your feelings." _

The blonde felt his airway tighten. He took his shoes out of his locker and put them on the floor. How did she know about what happened back in May? He never recalled sensing anyone around them when it happened. TK shook his head out. It was probably just a tactic to get to him.

"I'll show her," he grumbled under his breath. His school slippers came off. "I'll show both of them!"

_SLAM! _

The kids closest to him jumped at the loud noise.

"What the heck, dude?" a boy cried.

TK blushed. "Sorry," he said with a nervous smile. "Guess I don't know my own strength sometimes."

The three children rolled their eyes and closed their lockers before leaving. TK took a deep breath to get himself back under control. He had to find Kari and Davis. They needed to get going to the warehouse.

A familiar laugh came up ahead.

"I can't believe you said that to Ayumi!" Kari laughed, bumping her shoulder into Davis' arm. Her voice sunk into a deep tough-guy imitation. "_Wow! Your stomach_ _must be huge! Want some of my sandwich too?" _

"I didn't think she'd get so upset over it," Davis shot back as Kari continued laughing.

"Of course she'd be upset. She thought you were offending her, not concerned about her appetite."

The burgundy-haired boy blushed. "It was an accident. I didn't mean it that way."

Kari ruffled his hair and sighed with a teasing smile.

"I know you didn't, ya big goof," she giggled. "Sometimes you have to watch what you say or the next girl's going to have the wrong idea."

Davis' blush darkened considerably when she winked at him. Dozens of times, he imagined himself in this position, but now that he was here, it was awkward. Everyone around them took notice of what was going on. Some kids whispered, followed by giggling.

"Kari, you better be careful with that or someone will get the wrong idea," he said.

Kari blinked in confusion. "Wrong idea? What do you mean?" she asked.

Davis looked away to cover the blush on his face. A few boys nearby pointed and snickered at him, only compounding his situation. Behind him, he felt knives being glared into the back of his skull.

"Teasing me like that," he said. "People will think we're dating."

TK glared at them with contemptuous hatred. The sight of them flirting awakened something in him he had been struggling to contain.

"Like me," he growled.

The blonde's appearance startled Kari. The angry look on his face worried her.

"Why would you think Davis and I are dating?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Beats me," he said. "Unless my lying eyes are deceiving me again."

The Jedi of Light walked up to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I've been concerned about you lately," she softly said. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, TK. What's the matter?" Davis asked, stepping up to join her.

TK's eyes never let up from their contemptuous glare. He was beyond getting himself back in control at this point. His suspicions proved correct all along. Ever since they started training under Tai, something was going on between Kari and Davis.

"It's none of your guys' concern," he growled and stormed past them. Before he completely left, he turned back and added, "Just be at the warehouse later."

Kari refused to admit defeat and chased after him out on the school grounds. Davis ran after them a second later.

"Wait!" she cried, grabbing his arm. Tears started to well up in her eyes. "TK, talk to me. I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

"It's nothing! Okay?" TK snapped. He realized what he did and fell quiet, instantly regretting it. He took a deep breath, shrugging his shoulder to roll Kari's hand off him. "I'll see you later."

TK walked away without another word after that. Kari held back her tears. What was with him lately? She tried peering into his mind to see. The mental barriers in his mind stopped her from making any progress. She sighed and admitted defeat, feeling deeply hurt by his words.

Davis caught up and stood beside Kari.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Kari sniffled, looking at him with hurt eyes, and replied, "I…I don't know. He's blocking me from reading his thoughts."

After a deep breath, she continued. "I've never seen him this upset before. What I can feel, it's like –" she used the Force to amplify her thoughts and read the situation "–like he sees me like everyone else. Like I'm just another person to him."

Davis watched TK get further and further away until he disappeared behind the hedge outside the gates. TK's behavior lately also concerned him. He was not sure what caused the behavior, but it was not good for the team.

"Then it's his loss," he said. "I don't know what it is with him. As long as he doesn't carry all that to the Digital World, we'll be okay."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Kari with a heavy sigh.

After a short breath through his nose, Davis adjusted his backpack before starting to walk towards the gate. "Come on, Kari. Let's go."

Kari nodded and followed him.

"I won't let anything happen to you when we're there," Davis proclaimed. "Since Tai and the older kids can't come today, that leaves me to protect you. We're friends, and training partners. Tai would kill me if something happened to you."

The Jedi of Light smiled a little, but she was still upset about TK. Without thinking, she hooked an arm around Davis' left arm and gave it a tight squeeze as they walked.

"Thank you," she said. "Let's stop to get some ice cream before we get to the warehouse, 'kay? We need some fuel before we go."

Davis blushed for what felt like the tenth time that day, this time with excitement. _Kari was holding his arm! _He had been waiting for this moment to happen for a long time. Maybe she would start falling for him if he kept this up long enough.

"Sure, whatever you want," he replied.

"Thanks. And by the way," Kari's half-smile erupted into a smirk, "I appreciate your protection, but I'm a better fighter than you."

"Hey!"

Kari laughed.

"Who was it that destroyed Kimeramon?" Davis shot back. "Me!"

"I _let _you get the action," Kari teased. "Someone else had to take care of the rest."

"Didn't seem that way to me! You guys were getting tossed around left and right until Tai and I saved the day."

Davis' words fell on deaf ears as the two Jedi walked under the school gate and left campus. Somewhere, deep within herself, Kari had a bad feeling about today.

Something bad was going to happen. She just knew it.

Davis, on the other hand, felt like what was coming would change his life forever. The Force whispered in his ear that his time would come soon when he would be given the chance to lead. Then again, the last time it said that, TK ended up getting the goggles.

'_Guess we will wait and see what happens.'_

* * *

TK felt his body return to its normal temperature the longer he walked back to Odaiba. The salty air of the bay and the wind blowing across the pavement put him at ease after his outburst at school. He didn't mean to, but he just lost control. He'd have to apologize about it later.

Right now, he had the strong urge to go visit his father while he was at work. It had been almost a month since he last saw him during the camping trip. From talking with Matt, things seemed to be getting pretty serious between him and Rumiko. Even though she was nice, she was still competition that needed to be removed.

TK soon arrived back on the island, heading straight towards Fuji TV station rather than home.

He entered the belly of the gigantic beast to find an elevator. One stood open, waiting for him to enter. The lobby was not real busy at this time, allowing the young blonde to easily make his way to the elevator.

The doors opened on the eighth floor and he walked out into the office. Cigarette smoke and coffee overpowered the air, but he didn't pay it any attention. Phones rang; loud conversations were being carried on between cubicles. In short, a typical day at the television station.

TK found his father's office after being directed by one of the employees. He stood in the doorway as his father talked on the phone.

"–No, Charlie. This is bullshit! I promised you we would have that on the air as soon as the editing was finished," Hiroaki said impatiently. He glanced up at his youngest son and signaled for him to come into the office as Chioka complained. "Look, can I call you back in a few minutes? My son just walked in. No, my other one. You have my word. Okay. Bye."

An exasperated growl erupted from his throat as he put the phone down. Seeing TK was a sight for sore eyes after a long day.

"Everything okay there, Dad?"

"Yeah," the man sighed. "How about you? How was school?"

"School was fine, I guess," TK said with a shrug. "I figured I'd just come by and see how you were doing."

His father smiled. "I appreciate that, son." The man's face became serious. "There's something I actually need to talk to you about. You remember Rumiko?"

TK's body froze. His skin crawled at the mention of her name these days. He kept himself composed for his father though. He nodded affirmatively.

"Well," Hiroaki began, a happy smile shooting up his face, "you know we've been seeing each other for the past couple of months. I'm crazy in love with her. She's the right person at the right time for me. She's really changed my view on life, and made me see the happier side of things for a change."

TK forced a smile on his face. "That's great, Dad. Why are you bringing this up?"

He suddenly wished he never asked. Somewhere, deep in his heart, he knew exactly why his father was bringing this up.

"I want to ask Rumiko to marry me," Hiroaki said. "Matt's already told me he approves, but I want to hear from you too. I want both of my sons to be on the same page."

TK hurt all over from anguish and shock. It felt like someone had reached inside of him and ripped all his guts out. Then that someone took a knife and carved his heart out before ripping it to shreds. His mind completely snapped.

"W-What?" he breathed, his voice coming out in a hoarse gasp.

"I understand this will be a bit of a change, but that doesn't change the fact I love you and your brother, TK." Hiroaki said, sensing the devastation in his youngest son's face. He got up from his desk to stand in front of the boy. "There's a part of me that will always love your mom."

Once his father touched his shoulder, TK completely lost it.

"NO!" he shouted. "NO! I WILL NOT SAY YES!"

Tears blinded his vision as he started to suffer a panic attack. This was just too much for him to handle.

"TK –"

"NO! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" TK screamed as he ran out of the office in tears. "I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! I HATE YOU!"

"TK, come on," his father said calmly, trying to reason with him. "Come back."

"SHUT UP! NO, NO, NO, NO!"

Hiroaki sighed sadly and sat back down at his desk. That could have gone better. He eyed the pack of cigarettes on his desk for a minute. Rumiko hated it when he smoked, so he got back on the cat-and-mouse game of quitting and relapsing. So far, he had not smoked in a month and a half.

His eyes glanced at the little whiteboard he had near his desk.

_Days without smoking: 47_

The number was erased and replaced with a different one.

_Days without smoking: 0._

* * *

"Hey, TK," Yolei greeted as the blonde leader came through. The scowl on his face frightened her. "How's it…going?"

"No time to talk now, Yolei," TK growled. "Let's go. Is everyone here?"

Yolei wilted under his gaze. This was a side she had never seen before from him. "Y-Yeah, they're all here and ready to go."

"Good. Come on."

"E-Everything okay?"

"EVERYTHING'S FINE!" TK lashed out in anger. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down. "But we need to go. There was a disturbance in the mountains. We need to go check it out. It could be Arukenimon and Mummymon, from what Izzy told me."

"O-Okay."

Yolei was silent as she followed him into the computer room. Something must have really happened to set TK off today. She would have to ask about it later when they finished investigating in the mountains.

Davis, Kari, Cody, and Ken all stood, ready for instruction. Cody and Ken cringed at TK's face, while Kari and Davis sighed in sadness. He still had not calmed down, and was going to be carrying whatever was bothering him to the Digital World.

"Alright, team," TK growled. "I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. We go there, we find what this disturbance is, and we stop it. If Arukenimon and Mummymon are behind this, we destroy them. Then we come home. So easy even a baby can do it. Are we clear?"

Everyone eyed each other with concern. What was going on?

TK grew more irritated as every second passed without a response. "I said, are we CLEAR?!"

"Yes, TK." Everyone replied in chorus.

"Good," the leader said, turning to the computer and opening the gate. "Now, let's move out!"

* * *

Mummymon adjusted his position behind the rock so that his hat did not give his position away. The mountain air gusted all over the path, blowing rocks and dust in every direction.

He and Arukenimon were now moving on to the second phase of their plan. Their task was to go into the Akagi mountain range and wait for the Jedi as intelligence from their master told them they would be there. Once they were, they would quickly capture TK and Ken and make a quick getaway before the other Jedi knew what hit them. It was bound to work this time.

"Look alive, Mummymon," Arukenimon whispered, eyes fixed down the path. "They're coming."

The mummy glared. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

His companion groaned. "Now is not the time. We can argue about jokes later. Right now, we've got a job to do."

"As you wish."

The two ducked behind the column of boulders and waited for their prey to come walking into the trap.

The Destined Jedi kept a good distance away from TK as he led them into the mountain pass. So far, there was no trace of neither Arukenimon nor Mummymon. Even so, their presence ranked like a bad odor. They had to be around somewhere.

"Where are they?" TK growled under his breath. His hand held his saber in a death grip, anxious for some action already. He shouted, "We know you're here! Come out and fight us, you cowards!"

"I don't think it's a good idea to provoke them, TK," Cody warned. He suddenly wished he didn't say that because the blonde glared at him with hatred. The boy's face paled. "Um, forget I said anything."

Ken closed his eyes and focused harder. In the back of his mind, a little red flag went up. This seemed way too easy. Suspicion and concerned washed over his face as he felt something off to the side.

"What is it, Ken?" Davis asked. "You find something?"

The Jedi of Kindness pointed ahead. "Right there," he whispered.

Davis' hand went straight to his lightsaber. He signaled for Kari and Cody to follow him. They nodded and took their sabers out. The wind blew through the pass, the gusts masking their steps.

Rocks slid down from above. The six Jedi turned sharply at the sound, expecting their adversaries to jump out. Nothing happened. It was just a small rockslide from the wind. Sighs of relief escaped their mouths with a shaky tremor. This was nerve-wracking.

"NOW!"

Arukenimon and Mummymon jumped out from their hiding place, lightsabers instantly drawn as they swarmed the Jedi. The children were caught off guard by the surprise assault that they hardly had time to raise their defenses.

Ken jumped back to cut off any escape route for them. Without his saber, he was useless in combat. Lucky for him, there was at least one way he could help out that didn't involve saber fighting.

The action was swift and brutal. Mummymon threw Cody into a collection of jagged rocks. Davis took his place and launched a whirlwind of attacks that tried to throw the mummy off guard. His adversary was quick, however, and matched every single attack he threw.

TK put all of his strength into every strike against Arukenimon. He and Kari decided to take the woman together. She was not going to get away this time.

His form was sloppy and erratic with all the emotions he felt. Kari had to pick up more of the slack for them as Arukenimon kept them off balance.

"Come with us, young Jedi," the woman sneered. "Who needs this group of losers when you can be greater?"

TK tied up their sabers and smacked her with the back of his hand.

"No thanks," he growled. "Your master is not going to get his grimy little hands on me or any of my friends."

Arukenimon smirked, rubbing her cheek where he hit her. "We'll see about that. First, you have to deal with the friends we've brought for this special occasion," she said.

She started chanting what sounded like a spell. Ken's blood went cold. It sounded just like the language he had learned when creating Kimeramon.

The ground rumbled under their feet, shaking the entire pass like the mountain would erupt. From out of the ground, rock creatures emerged with hulking boulders for bodies and red eyes aimed right at the Jedi.

"You want us, you'll have to get through our friends here," Arukenimon snickered. She pointed right at the Jedi. "Get them!"

The hulking behemoths charged right for them. Davis' feet acted on instinct and started backing away.

"Fall back!" he cried. "Fall back!"

The other four Jedi nodded in agreement and fell back with him, but TK stood his ground.

"TK, let's go! We've got to run!" Davis urged.

TK shook his head in stubborn refusal. "No! We fight!" he shot back. "You cowards want to run, then go ahead, but I'm staying right there."

The burgundy-haired boy's eyes went wide with shock. TK was refusing to listen to a suggestion? Okay, this was going too far. Ever since they started, he had grown comfortable in his role as being a member of the team. TK's stubborn refusal to run changed that.

"Don't be stupid!" Davis shouted at him. "We need to regroup and think of a plan! Don't try to be a hero!"

"Listen to Davis, TK!" Kari implored the blonde. "We have to go!"

The blonde turned to glare at them with annoyance and betrayal. So this is what it had come to? They all of a sudden refused to accept his authority as their leader? TK was not going to stand for this.

"No. You scrubs listen to _**me!**_" he growled. He pointed to the brim of his hat. "I have the goggles. I'm in charge! And right now, as your leader, I order you all to stand and fight."

He didn't wait for a response back before charging at the creatures. He cut two off at the legs and sent them tumbling to the ground. His eyes were focused on Arukenimon and Mummymon the whole time as he made quick work of the pawns. He went right for the king and queen.

Davis couldn't take this any longer. Despite his better judgment, he turned back around to go help their leader. TK was going to get himself killed if he pursued this suicide mission further.

"Davis, come back!" Ken shouted.

"Not without TK!" Davis cried.

Up ahead, the blonde leader was tangoing sabers with Mummymon. The two were fairly even, despite TK's emotions clouding every decision he made. The mummy was toying with him, and TK hated every second of it. He wanted to end this quickly.

"TK!"

The blonde turned and saw Davis running towards him, his saber drawn. His initial excitement turned to shock when Mummymon took advantage of the distraction by punching him in the face. TK fell right on his back, stunned from the attack.

Mummymon stood over TK's prone form, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

"My master may want you alive, but I think you'd look better on his wall," the mummy snickered with a deviant smirk.

TK recovered quickly enough to plunge his saber into the Digimon's leg. Mummymon screamed in pain, falling to the ground with his hand going right on his leg after TK withdrew his saber.

"Come on! We've gotta go!" Davis said, dragging TK away from the injured Digimon.

Mummymon grimaced in agony, breathing in sharp gasps to cope with the pain shooting up through his leg. He eyed the Jedi with rage, TK in particular.

Davis saw a large shadow cast itself over him on the ground. One of the large rock creatures towered above the two Jedi.

Before Davis could make a move, it punted him into the side of the pass like a football. Davis' head hit the rock with a sickening _smack! _He slid down the rocks and finally landed face first on the ground. Blood mixed in with his burgundy hair as it flowed from the open wound.

"DAVIS!" Ken screamed as the rest of the Jedi caught up to TK. He and Yolei went to check on the boy while Cody and Kari went to the blonde.

"Die, Mummymon!" TK roared, taking a step towards the mummy to finish the job.

Arukenimon landed in front of him to cut off his path.

"Out of my way, Arukenimon! Or you die too!"

"Not this time, little boy," she smirked. In a quick flash, she kneed TK in his groin, punched his stomach, and slugged him across the face. A light glimmered off her sunglasses. "Until we meet again, kiddies. This is not over. Not by a long shot."

She picked up Mummymon and leapt up onto the ledge above them.

"Can't let them get away!" TK groaned in pain, struggling to get up.

"No. Stay down, TK," Kari urged. "We'll get them next time. Fight another day."

Arukenimon jumped higher and higher until the Jedi lost sight of her. TK pounded the ground in anger, but did not say anything else. He looked over at Davis, who was still unconscious a few feet away.

'_Tai is going to be so pissed at me.'_

* * *

"Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Tai roared, circling around TK like a shark did to its prey. "What happened out there, TK?"

TK stood silent, fuming under his façade of silence. He looked to the side of the room. Matt stood against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. His eyes glared at TK in disappointment.

"We were ambushed by Arukenimon and Mummymon. They brought these rock creatures with them. The others wanted to retreat, but I took it upon myself to finish the mission," TK explained. He then grumbled, "And we would have too if they had just backed me up like I asked."

Tai eyed him with a dangerous glare. "That was reckless of you, TK," he growled. "You have to learn sometimes that it is better to run and fight another day than to make something out of an impossible situation. Because of your recklessness, Davis might have a concussion now."

TK scoffed bitterly. "That's his own fault. He didn't have to come after me. I was doing just fine on my own. I can't help it that his own stupidity got him hurt. As the leader, it's my job to make sure the mission is a success."

"Wrong. It's the leader's job to put the safety of everyone else above their own selfish interest," Tai shot back. "What's going on with you, TK? Ever since you defeated Ken, you've been a lot more hotheaded and stubborn. In fact, you're worse than me. What's going on?"

"Someone needs to lead this ragtag group of misfits, so it may as well be the one who has defeated Devimon, Piedmon, and Ken," said TK. "I'm just as capable of leadership as you are, Tai. I'm the reason we are this far along. We'll find Arukenimon and Mummymon and destroy them soon."

Tai had just about heard enough. All of his suspicions about TK lately had been correct. His ego had swelled to the size of Hokkaido and thought himself above reproach. The little quiet eight-year-old boy he once knew was gone. This egomaniac took his place. He didn't like it one bit. There was only one way to cure this disease before it got worse.

"Give me the goggles, TK," he said, stretching out his hand. "You're not fit to be leader with an attitude like that. I can't risk future missions if you're going to be reckless. You're no longer the leader."

TK's face fell with hurt and betrayal. He took the goggles off his hat and held them close to his chest. "What?" he breathed. "No way! Just give me another chance, Tai. I'm sorry I messed up. It won't happen again."

"This was the last straw, TK," Tai remained firm. "Give them to me."

"No!" TK kept the goggles clutched tightly in his hand. Tai was growing impatient.

"Give. Me. The goggles. _Now." _

The younger blonde's fist trembled, his fury rising with every second that passed. He knew Tai was not going to budge on this. In one last act of defiance, TK finally slapped the eyewear into Tai's outstretched hand.

"Fine," he growled. "Take your stupid goggles. I didn't want them anyway."

He brushed right on past Tai, the storm cloud growing over his head. The two older Jedi could almost hear his teeth rubbing together from the other side of the room. Matt did not say a word. He knew it was only a matter of time before it got this bad.

"You're making a big mistake, Tai," TK added with bitterness. "No one can lead this group better than I can. Good luck replacing me."

"Watch me," Tai shot back. "Go home, TK, and cool off. Until you decide whether or not you can be part of this team again, you are suspended from group activities until further notice."

That bit of news only made TK angrier. With a huff, he threw open the door to the warehouse and turned back to glare knives into the two Jedi.

"Forget that!" he yelled. "Who needs this stupid team anyway? I'm going solo."

_SLAM! _And just like that, he was gone. The tense atmosphere faded away like it never even happened.

Matt and Tai looked at the door with quiet, neutral faces. They weren't anticipating it going that poorly.

"Do you think I made the right choice, Matt?" Tai asked the older blonde next to him.

Matt nodded. "Yes, you did. TK was growing too comfortable in that position and let it go to his head. He has to learn that the choices he makes can have a negative impact on others."

The Jedi of Courage sighed with exasperation. "With this new enemy, we are now down a squad leader. Where am I going to find somebody worthy to lead under me?"

A thought crossed Matt's mind. Maybe they didn't have to look too far at all. When the others told him what happened, he was struck by how Davis charged in without any regard for himself to save TK and make sure the others were safe.

"I've got an idea," he smiled.

* * *

Davis could hardly breathe. Was this really happening? He had to run over what Tai just told him again in his head. It still throbbed with the concussion, but Yolei healed the wound on his head when they got back to the warehouse.

"A-Are you sure?" he choked. "Are you sure you want me to be leader, Tai?"

Tai nodded. "I'm sure," he said with a smile.

"Really sure?"

"Yes."

"Really, _really _sure?"

The Jedi of Courage laughed. "Yes, I am absolutely sure, Davis. The courage you showed today proved to me that you're ready to take over. One thing I'm wondering though is why you didn't show all of this before. What happened?"

Davis bit his lip and took a quick breath before answering. "I guess I just got comfortable with my spot on the team. Through all of our adventures, having you as my teacher, training with Kari, and being with you guys, I learned to love just being a Destined Jedi. I didn't care if I was the leader or not," he said. "I just did what I thought was the right thing."

The smile on Tai's face widened. This would work after all.

"I'm proud of you, Davis," he said. "You've really grown up since you became a Destined Jedi. You still have a lot to learn, but I'm sure you'll do just fine. For now, you'll be my squad leader until you're dead or I find someone better." His hand reached out with the goggles. "Take them."

Davis stared at them like he would at a golden idol. Again, was this really happening, or was it just a dream? His hand shook, reaching out to touch the goggles. The lens of the left one met his fingers. This was real!

He finally wrapped his hand around the goggles and pulled them into his body. After taking a moment to stare, he stretched the band at the back and put them on his head.

"How do I look?" he asked.

Tai patted him on the shoulder. "Like a real leader," he replied. "I'm not doing this because you're my student, Davis. I asked the others, and their decision was unanimous. They wanted you to be their leader."

Davis smiled a determined grin. "Then I won't let them down."

"I know you won't."

* * *

**There has been a change in leadership. What will happen next? Will TK accept Davis as leader, or is there a long way to go before this saga is finished? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**This is part one of two, guys. Next week, we will see the conclusion of this. Sorry if the ending was a little rushed, but I wanted to get this done as quickly as I could. To help me out, I decided to divide this into two chapters. **

**Davis is now the leader! And he did a lot to earn it, if you guys have been paying close attention the whole story. We'll see where this goes next. **

**As always, be sure to leave a review and subscribe because we are close to the homestretch. **

**See you guys next week bright, early, and on time. I promise. Have a good and safe week. Love you all. **


	32. Surrendering to Destiny

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thanks for all the reviews, Odd. You're the best. You'll find out what happens as we keep going .**

**Ackbarfan5556: TK has not gone that far off the wagon, so it really would not have worked. That's why I didn't do it. **

**Music Chick: Yes it did :-) Thanks. **

**Lord Jaric: You'll see ;-) **

**Zero and Megaman: Hello! Thank you so much for the review. Oh, just you wait and see. You're gonna like what's coming. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Updated now ;-) **

**Ratchet McCloud: Yes. Thank you for catching that mistake, Ratchet. I appreciate it. **

**Luffy L Deathwalker: Welcome. Thank you for the review. You'll see. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: I did not make that connection until you mentioned it. As always, thanks for all the kind words, Greymon. Much appreciated. **

**StarterSquad01: Thank you, and thank you for the favorite and follow. Much appreciated. You'll have to see what happens.**

* * *

**Wow! Check out all these reviews I had to answer from last chapter. I guess you guys really liked it. I'm glad to hear that. So, as I said last time, this chapter is kind of a continuation of the last chapter. TK is dealing with some deep emotional stuff, gets Davis hurt during a mission, and now has lost his leadership position to Davis, in case you needed a refresher. This is a long one for you today at almost 9,300 words! Hope you guys enjoy it.**

* * *

Mummymon squeezed his eyelids tightly as the pain shot through him. He moaned at a constant interval, filling the air with the depressing sound. His whole leg felt like it was on fire after taking a vicious stab to it. His breath hitched in pain as Arukenimon tightened the bandage around his thigh.

"Ow! Not so hard, please," he hissed.

"If you hadn't been such a fool, I wouldn't have to do this," Arukenimon growled, roughly pulling on the bandage. She sighed with tired exasperation. "Honestly, I don't know why I continue to put up with you, Mummymon. You could have gotten yourself killed. How many times do I have to tell you not to play games with our targets?"

Mummymon flashed a nervous, toothy grin. "I guess I was having too much fun," he chuckled. "I always like playing with my unstable prey. You should try it sometime. It's so much fun."

His companion groaned and rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "Ugh! Why do I bother?" Arukenimon pulled on the last bit of bandage to settle it firmly in place.

"There. You're all set," she said. "We need a plan. Master is not going to be happy if we return with nothing again."

"What do you suggest?" asked Mummymon. "We could always just wait for the Jedi to come back." He grinned again. "That blonde Jedi might be a much easier target than before if he's all alone."

Arukenimon raised a finger to her chin. "Let me think."

* * *

When Davis walked through the halls at school the next day, he may as well have been a celebrity's kid or teen idol arriving at a regular public school. Kids stopped what they were doing to look at the goggles now resting on top of his head.

"Whoa! Where'd you get those, Davis?" one girl asked.

"Hey, aren't those the ones TK's been wearing the whole year? They look totally awesome on you, dude," another boy said.

Davis smiled and accepted the praise with a gracious nod, but refused to let it go to his head. He may have gotten the goggles because TK screwed up, but that didn't mean he had earned the right to be called a leader yet.

He still had to pass a math test today.

The aforementioned blonde was noticeably absent from school that day. Kari didn't know where he was when Davis asked about it. The rumor in the class went that one of their classmates had seen TK walking inside of Fuji TV station the day looking seemingly okay, but then he walked out of it in tears. Something had to have happened between the time he arrived and when he stormed out of the building.

"What do you think it was?" Davis whispered to Kari. His eyes sparkled in realization. "Hey, wait. Doesn't his dad work at the TV station?"

"Yes," Kari whispered back. A thought sprung into her mind. "You don't think it has to do with his dad's girlfriend, do you? Remember when we met her after we came back from defeating Ken?"

"Oh yeah. That's right. She seemed nice. Didn't get much of a chance to know her because I went straight to sleep in the car when we drove off. What about it?" Davis' eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "You don't think –"

"I think so," Kari nodded. Her eyes fell with sadness, unable to imagine the pain TK must be going through right now. "No wonder he was acting that way in the Digital World."

"He's upset over something like that? It happens all the time. It's a fact of life. His dad is free to do whatever makes him happy."

"But to TK, he's always held on to the hope that his parents would reunite and he and Matt could be a family again," Kari explained. "And now that will never happen."

Her heart ached as she reached out to sense TK's emotions through their connection. Sadness, hurt, bitterness, betrayal; she felt all of it radiating from his Force energy. Instead of being angry with him, Kari wanted desperately to go talk to him and give comfort. That probably was not a good idea though. He might not be willing to talk about something like that with her.

Davis felt whatever feelings of anger and annoyance he felt towards the blonde wipe away as their teacher walked into the room. Maybe he should try to talk to him later. That was not going to be easy. Would he even be willing to listen to what Davis had to say? Would TK even want to talk to him? Those answers were unclear for now. He'd just have to try. As the new leader, he wanted everyone to be on the same page with each other.

That included TK.

The rest of the school day passed by without incident. The math test turned out to not be as hard as Davis thought. Kari helping him study may have been a contributing factor, but he liked to think it was his newfound swagger with the goggles that gave him the confidence he needed.

He and Kari met their friends near Venus Fort. It was a bright and pleasantly warm September day. While the month was drawing to a close, the weather had not changed. It was still nice and warm with not a trace of fall on the air. The plan was to enjoy it as much as they could while it lasted.

"Hey, guys!" Yolei waved from under the "Palette Town" sign.

Davis and Kari waved back and joined their friend. Cody stood silently at Yolei's side and greeted them with a polite nod. The first thing both of them noticed was the goggles on Davis' head, sparkling in the sunlight. They both smiled, glad he had accepted the position when Tai offered it to him.

"They look good on you," Yolei said.

Davis nodded with a proud smile. "Thanks. I'm amazed you guys trusted me enough to make me your leader. I promise. I will not let my ego get the better of me. If I do, strike me down without hesitation."

Kari couldn't believe it. Who knew Davis had this side to him? "Who are you, and what have you done with my goofy friend, Davis Motomiya?" she joked.

The Jedi all laughed, even Davis.

"You took it," a new voice said. "I'm glad."

The group looked behind them to see Ken joining them, wearing a different set of clothes from his school uniform. A black polo, jeans, and black suede shoes. Everyone gaped in awe at the sight of him. Yolei felt her face turn a darker red than before, this time from something else.

"Yo! Ken!" Davis slapped him five. "How's it going, dude?"

"Hi, Davis," Ken returned with a smile. "Thanks for inviting me here."

"You what?" Cody hissed, glaring knives into the new leader.

"Cody!" Yolei snapped with a warning tone. She grabbed his hand. "Be right back, guys."

Once they were a little ways down the walkway so that the others were not in hearing range, Yolei kneeled down and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Can you please try to get along with Ken just this once?" she asked in a firm voice. "He's a part of the team for now."

The young boy folded his arms across his chest. He still was having a difficult time accepting that Ken was a limited member of the group. His trial period was already two weeks over. At the rate he seemed to be going, he could officially become one of them. That scared him.

"He's still not a full-fledged member," Cody grumbled. "Don't tell me he's made you think you can trust him, Yolei. Do you trust him?"

"I don't yet," she sighed. That was the truth. "But sometimes, there are things that are beyond our control. He's here now, and he's honestly done a lot for us already. I think I might be starting to come around to him."

"Yolei, do you remember when he was the Emperor? He was ruthless! He kidnapped you!" Cody bit, refusing to budge an inch. "He would have killed Sora too if you hadn't unlocked your power. He also murdered his brother."

Yolei sighed. She should have expected this from Cody. "Look. Whatever your personal feelings are, I don't care. Behave yourself around him. Do it for me?"

Cody's scowl stayed fixed on his face. Then it lightened a little bit. He couldn't believe that he was doing this.

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll do it for you. No one else."

Yolei patted his left shoulder twice. "Thank you," she said.

They rejoined their friends, who seemed to be getting on with a conversation about manga.

"I'm tellin' ya, dude, I was flippin' out that whole chapter," Davis said with buoyant excitement. "It was non-stop action the whole time."

Ken laughed. "Yeah, it was pretty cool," he said, matching Davis' excitement. "Hey, have you read volume 4 yet?"

"No, I haven't!" Davis shrieked. "I feel so inadequate!"

"Not to worry, Davis. I'll loan it to you so you can read it."

"Ken, you are a lifesaver, dude!"

"_Ahem." _Yolei cleared her throat to get their attention. The three Jedi ended their conversation to look at their two friends.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go have some fun!" the girl pumped her fist in the air and led the group on their way.

Venus Fort was a two-level mall with shops on the top floor and eateries at the bottom of the escalator. From where they stood, there was a car museum to their left, affectionately called the "Toyota Museum" because of the large amount of Toyota cars on display. To their right was the entrance to the indoor shops. The group moved to their right and walked through the mall.

The European decor fascinated the children upon entering. They felt like they were in Rome with a large Roman fountain in the middle of the square. Looking up, the atrium was lighted and colored to look like the daytime sky outside. It was like the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, but without the high-priced brand shops.

Yolei and Kari went into a shop near the fountain, while the boys hung around waiting to wait for them. Two minutes, they told them.

Davis looked down at his watch. Ten minutes had gone by. He rolled his eyes. _'Girls and their shopping habits.' _

Cody looked to his right and saw an ice cream shop. Excitement rose as he dug through his pocket. He felt nothing. His face fell. Guess no ice cream today. If only he had the foresight to ask his mother for some money before he left the house.

Ken noticed the boy's face as he eyed the ice cream shop with a depressed, gloomy expression. Something inside told him that Cody really wanted an ice cream. _Badly_ wanted it. An idea came to him. Maybe there was something he could do about that. He reached into his pocket and found a ¥500 coin in it.

"Here, go buy yourself an ice cream," he said, offering the coin to Cody. "It's on me, Cody."

The boy eyed the coin with suspicion, then looked up at its owner. What was Ken getting at? If he thought he could win him over with money to buy an ice cream, Ken had another thing coming.

"Go on," Ken urged, inching his hand forward. "Take it. You don't have to worry about paying me back. This ice cream is on me, Cody."

Cody looked from Ken's hand to the ice cream shop. His stomach rumbled with hunger, begging to be filled with the delicious soft-serve treat. For once, he decided to ignore his head.

"Okay," he said, taking the coin from Ken's palm. "Thank you, Ken."

"You're welcome, Cody," Ken replied with a warm smile as the boy got up and walked over to the shop.

Davis watched the exchange with a hopeful smile. The best way for Ken to show Cody that he was trustworthy was to prove it in his actions. He patted the raven-haired boy on the shoulder.

"That was awful nice of you," he said.

Ken shrugged. "Eh, I couldn't stand seeing him all sad. It really would have ruined my day if I didn't do anything about it."

"Stuff like that will go a long way in showing Cody he can trust you. Believe me." Davis adjusted the band of his goggles.

"How's being the leader now?" Ken asked.

"Dude, I have to be honest with you. It still has not even remotely sunk in yet. Honestly, I don't know why you guys picked me to be your leader," Davis twiddled his thumbs as he sat on the ledge of the fountain. "Tai told me it was a unanimous decision, but I want to understand why. Why me, Ken? Why did _you _want me to be leader?"

Ken gave a shy smile. "Your heart," he said. "You took a chance on me by wanting to be my friend, despite everything I had done to you before. You earned my respect a that day on the soccer field. I also owe you my life. You were the one who suggested that everyone spare me rather than leave me to die in the desert.

"When everyone else was hesitant to trust me, you were the only one who tried to get to know me, besides Matt. If there's anyone I'd go through hellfire with, it'd be you, Davis. That's why I nominated you to be leader.

"Kari chose you because she was proud of the progress you've made during your training sessions; Yolei noticed how mature and responsible you've become; and Cody felt no one was better than you after what happened the other day. You were the unanimous choice, Davis."

Davis' heart grew three sizes like the Grinch. His chest swelled with pride. This was the kind of confirmation he needed to know what they really thought of him. For almost the entire length of his term as a Destined Jedi, he was content to just be one of the team and didn't try to stand out too much after settling down.

"Thanks," he choked, patting Ken on the shoulder. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you, Ken."

Ken chuckled. "No, it's me that's lucky to have you. Everyone else feels the same way too."

Davis' face fell. "Not everyone," he muttered, thinking of TK. What was he going to do about the blonde?

Ken must have read his mind because he quickly said, "Just go talk to him."

"I'm worried he won't listen."

"Then make him listen," the Jedi of Kindness urged. "Arukenimon and Mummymon will not rest until they have me and him. Going off on his own puts him at a higher risk of being captured."

Davis sighed sadly and looked behind him at the fountain. This was his first real test as leader, and it was one he wasn't sure he was ready for. How did Tai learn to do all this in the time he did during the older kids' first adventures?

"What if I mess up?" he asked, the self-doubt threatening to swallow him. "What if I only make things worse with him?"

"We have your back the whole way, Davis," Ken patted his shoulder. "We'll back you on whatever you do."

"That's right," said Cody as he came back, carrying a strawberry and matcha ice cream cone in his hand. "You've proven yourself, Davis. Don't think we haven't noticed."

The newly-minted leader nodded with shaky confidence. Ken's encouraging words made him feel a little better.

"Thanks."

* * *

A pair of binoculars scanned the desert with deep concentration. On the right side, there was nothing but sand and miles of horizon; the left side was more of the same except it went off into the mountains. Still no trace of the targets.

The binoculars were lowered to reveal narrow, concentrated blue eyes. Blonde hair spilled out from under the tan bucket hat, which used to have goggles resting right on the brim. TK grunted to himself. Nothing.

"Damn it," he cursed. "Where are they?"

Even though he was suspended from Destined Jedi activities, that did not technically mean he was banned from going to the Digital World. The day before, he sensed the group was there too so he just stayed far enough away from them that they couldn't sense him. He'd find Arukenimon and Mummymon, destroy them, and then the Jedi would be begging for him to come back and be their leader again.

"They might be in the mountains," TK murmured to himself. "Let's try there. I will not rest until I find them."

The blonde trekked on, ignoring the sand collecting in his sandals and how tired he was in pursuit of his goal. He'd show Tai. He'd show them all. They were all fools to question his authority. Just wait until he returned with Arukenimon and Mummymon's heads. He'd be given a hero's welcome.

Up ahead, a familiar shape emerged on the horizon. TK picked up his pace, wondering if maybe that was a possible clue to the two Digimons' whereabouts. What a lucky break!

When he got closer, TK's face fell. It was a large ship slowly decaying from the elements. Ken's former base. Metal, pieces of machinery, and large openings in the structure allowed one a chance to get a look at the interior. The Jedi blew up the engines to stop Ken from escaping to capture him, but ran into Kimeramon.

'_Good riddance,' _he thought. _'May it stay here to rot away forever.' _

He continued his journey, reaching the mountains in half an hour. TK used the Force to look for any trace of his adversaries. He caught a whiff of their scent but after inspecting it in detail, he realized they had been here not long ago. The blonde kicked himself. He had just missed them.

Looking up in the sky, TK noticed the sun was starting to set. He had to get home soon or else his mom would think something happened. As much as he wanted to stay and pursue the two Digimon, he was no fool. It was time to go home. Hopefully tomorrow's search would go better.

TK opened a portal near a cave wall, focusing on returning to his bedroom. He quickly walked into it.

Not far away, Arukenimon and Mummymon peeked their heads up from their hiding spot behind a ridge. They smiled to each other.

"One is definitely the loneliest number, wouldn't you agree, Mummymon?" Arukenimon smirked, licking her lips with delight.

"Couldn't agree more, Arukenimon," her partner agreed. "Without his friends, the Jedi of Hope will be easy to catch on his own. Let's follow him through that portal."

The woman chuckled. "Impatient, I see. Don't you know good things come to those who wait? We will get our chance to catch him and Little Boy Emperor soon." After tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she said, "For now, we must make our plan. He's bound to come back in search of us, so we have to be ready when he does."

Mummymon snickered with a bright evil smile. The hunt was only just beginning.

* * *

"TK, I'm home!"

"Hi, Mom," TK called from his bedroom.

Ms. Takaishi stepped out of her black heels and into the slippers at the edge of the floor before walking into the house. She put her keys on the table nearby and then methodically stepped into the kitchen.

"I just came by to pick up something really quick and then I'll be back out again, TK," she said, grabbing a bottle of tea out of the fridge. "I probably won't be back for a few more hours. Looks like you're on your own for dinner tonight."

"That's okay," her son replied. "I'll just eat the leftover rice in the fridge. Not a big deal."

"Alright."

Ms. Takaishi went into the living room and found what she was looking for on the coffee table: A sealed file. She had forgotten it earlier that morning, but didn't realize it until much later.

She looked over at her son's bedroom door. For the last three days, TK had been despondent and snappy whenever she saw him. She wondered what was wrong with him. For a second, she thought about stepping in to ask about it, but one glance at her watch told her "no way."

"Alright, I'm out," she said.

"Bye."

As Ms. Takaishi made her way to the door, the sound of knuckles rapping against the metal door caught her attention.

"Coming," she replied, taking her keys and putting her shoes back on before stepping to the door.

Davis smiled and bowed in greeting. "Good evening, Ms. Takaishi," he said. "Is TK home?"

"He's in his room," she said. "I don't mean to be rude, Davis, but what do you want? I have to leave."

"I'd just like to talk to him," the boy replied. "He wasn't at school today, so I decided to check on him."

Ms. Takaishi bristled. TK skipped school today? She looked back at her son's bedroom, wondering whether to pursue the topic now or later. She chose the latter.

The woman nodded and stepped past the boy, leaving the door open for him. "Of course. Go right ahead."

"Thank you."

Davis stepped inside the apartment and took his shoes off. A spare pair of slippers sat near the step that led to the hardwood floors. He stepped into them and took off toward the blonde's room. His Force energy was not hard to locate: A swirling mess of light and darkness, along with pain.

'_Give me strength to get through this,' _he silently prayed to whatever deity would hear him. His body shook with nervousness. _'Give me the wisdom to say the right things.' _

He knocked on the door lightly and opened it. The room was dark, with only the small rays of sunshine peaking through the blinds as light. TK sat on the well-made bed, looking down at his thighs.

Davis' throat tightened, refusing to allow the words he was going to say to form in his mouth. This was for real now. There was no going back.

"H-Hey," he choked out, letting the blonde know he was there. He stepped inside the room and closed the door. "I came to see how you were doing."

TK snapped out of his thoughts and finally turned to look at the visitor. His eyes narrowed in anger when he saw Davis standing at the door. What was _he _doing here? He opened his mouth to tell Davis to go away.

Then he saw them.

The blonde's annoyance instantly morphed into complete hatred when he glanced at the top of Davis' head. The goggles that once belonged to him now rested on the burgundy-haired Jedi's brow. So, Tai chose Davis to replace him, huh? TK's whole body shook with uncontrollable rage as he fumed in silence.

Davis flipped the light switch, filling the room with brightness. He noted the blonde's hot anger with a nervous gulp. Looks like this was not going to be a straightforward conversation. Despite his fear, he kept his cool and stood planted in his spot. The only way this would work was if he stayed in control.

TK didn't give him a chance to say anything as he swiped his lightsaber from his waist and charged.

"YAAHHHHHH!" he roared, bringing the saber to life. He raised the blue blade over his head, intending to cut Davis in half.

Davis jumped out of the way at the last second and rolled behind TK. He wrapped his arm around the boy's throat to try and slow him down. An elbow sank right into his gut. Davis grunted in pain, stepping back with a hand pressed to his side.

TK swung his saber right for Davis' side. Another blue lightsaber shot up and blocked the attack. The two Jedi stared at each other. Their sabers buzzed and sparked between them as they challenged each other with silent glares.

TK broke away from the lock and swung at Davis with all of his strength. Davis arched his back to dodge it and used his saber to block the rest. He made sure to not give in to his anger the whole time. All of his saber training with Tai had prepared him for this moment.

Soon, slash marks coated the walls. A few books lay spilled on the floor after TK sliced through an entire bookshelf. There was no real form to the blonde's offense. He was going off of pure, unadulterated hatred. Davis was picked as his replacement, so he had to die first. His attacks were powerful, but he was also leaving himself open. That didn't matter. He had to end this.

TK stunned Davis with an elbow to the face. With the boy's defenses down, he went right for the kill. Davis ducked under the saber and used the pommel of his to whack TK on the side of the head.

The blonde staggered to his left, grabbing his head as he dropped onto his leg. His head rang from the hit, so much that TK had to lay down to cope with the dizziness. Davis planted his foot on TK's chest and pointed his saber at his throat. He had won. The battle was over.

Both Jedi panted heavily, having used all of their strength in that short duel. TK's eyes widened at how close the saber was to his throat. Was Davis going to kill him for what happened the other day?

Davis took a gulp of air and then said, "Can we talk now? Man to man?"

The words shocked TK as he slowly lifted himself back up. He did not expect this.

"Yeah right," he shot with bitterness. "Like hell that's what you're here for. This is the perfect chance to humiliate me and brag about it in front of the competition, so why not go for it?!"

Davis pointed his saber away from TK's throat and deactivated it. He stepped off the boy's chest before giving his reply.

"Dude, am I missing something here? What's your problem, TK? I didn't come here to brag!"

"You're my problem!" TK roared, propping himself up on his elbows.

"This goes way beyond me replacing you as the leader," Davis said, folding his arms across his chest. "Something's been bothering you for a long time, and I bet it's been building."

The blonde sat on his butt and crossed his legs. His eyes continued staring daggers into Davis as he gnashed his teeth. But he did not say a thing. Davis took the chance to elaborate further while he still could.

"I doubt this is the only thing, but I know one of the problems," he continued. "I don't know what happened between you and Kari at school that day in May, but guess what, it's in the past! If you failed once then you try again! Don't let the first failure affect who you are in the future!"

TK snorted with a dismissive roll of his eyes, turning away from Davis. The new leader bared his clenched teeth at the disrespect.

"My being around Kari, and the two of us getting closer, forces you to ask yourself a tough question. Here's a little piece of friendly advice: Go and talk to Kari...from the HEART! Or else one day...I will! And then I _really _will be your problem!"

The sheen of defiance in TK's eyes faded away to allow emptiness to replace it. Davis spoke the unfortunate truth he had been lying to himself about. His mouth felt like it had been glued shut. Tears started to fill his eyes.

Davis almost felt sorry for him, but kept his distance. He didn't know if he had convinced TK enough to look at the truth with clear eyes. Just to be safe, he decided it was better to leave.

His hand placed itself on the wooden doorframe, stopping him from leaving completely. There was still one last thing to say.

"Whatever happened with your dad, I'm sorry," he said, his back still to TK. "That's life though, TK. We can't control it. If your dad wants to find happiness somewhere else, why not let him? It's been a long time since he and your mom broke up. You can't hold on to the past forever. You're gonna miss some of the good things happening now."

TK folded his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around them, still despondent.

Davis sighed. "I'm still your friend, TK, and," –he turned to look at him– "I forgive you. Meeting tomorrow at my house. I'd like it if you were there. That's all I wanted to say."

TK nodded wordlessly, his anger slowly devolving to shame. He buried his face in his knees as all of his emotions came crashing down on top of him.

"Good night."

Davis turned and left the apartment without another word.

* * *

Davis looked over at his alarm clock. It was past five, and all of the Destined Jedi had arrived for the meeting. Except for one. And that was the person he most wanted to be there.

"Anyone seen TK?" he asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

"No, he never said anything to me," Kari said.

"Nor me," Matt echoed.

A knot formed in the older blonde's throat. In a way, he felt responsible. Maybe if he was the one that told TK their dad wanted to marry Rumiko, it would have gone a little better and none of this would have happened.

Cody put down his soda can with a heavy sigh. "We can't wait for TK," he said. "If he doesn't want to be one of us anymore, we should just let him be. Arukenimon and Mummymon are up to something. We have to stop them."

"And you're right, Cody," Joe nodded, patting him on the back. "But we can't leave him like this. TK's one of us. He's hurting. We need to figure out a way to help him."

"But what do we do?" Davis asked. "I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't even have the decency to show up when I asked him to come to this meeting."

The Jedi turned their collective attention to Matt.

The Jedi of Friendship swallowed. "Wh-Why's everyone looking at me?"

"He's your brother. You fix this." Mimi said with a stern expression.

"Mimi's right, Matt," agreed Sora. "You should talk to him. You're the only one who can really do that."

Matt's cheeks reddened with Sora fussing at him. "No worries, guys. I'll talk to him. He's my little brother, and I don't like the path he's going down."

Tai patted him on the back. "Thanks, Matt," he said. "Go get TK back."

* * *

Matt's palms started sweating as he stood in front of the apartment door. He realized––this was the first time he had been to his mother's apartment since she and TK moved to Odaiba.

He reached up to knock on the door, but stopped before his knuckles could tap against the cold metal. What would he say to her? '_Hey, Mom. Can I talk to TK? He's become a complete egomaniac and endangered the team because he's mad about Dad wanting to remarry.'_ Matt had hardly even spoken to his mother since the faux camping trip, so there was more to overcome. But the need to help TK overcome his sadness overpowered any hesitation he had.

Matt finally pressed his knuckles against the door and tapped on it three times. A few seconds later, it opened and there stood his mother.

"Matt," Ms. Takaishi greeted, surprised by the visitor. A soft smile appeared on her face to cover her shock.

"Hi, Mom," Matt returned, looking down at the ground as an instant reaction. He willed his eyes back up to look at her.

"How are you? What are you doing here?" his mother asked.

"Is TK home?"

"He's not. He went out a little while ago and still hasn't come home," Ms. Takaishi replied. Her face drooped as she continued. "Is this about his recent behavior? He's been acting very strange lately. I'm worried."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's why I'm here," he said. "I know what caused him to be this way."

"What is it?"

The blonde teenager took a quick breath to gather his thoughts. His mother deserved to know the seriousness of the situation.

"TK went to see Dad at his office a couple of days ago," he began. "When he was there, Dad broke the news to him."

"What news?" his mother asked, using her natural instinct as a reporter to get to the bottom of this.

"That he is going to ask Rumiko to marry him. He wanted his blessing. I already gave Dad mine, but TK did not take the news well. Dad said he lashed out at him and stormed off in tears. It exploded later that day when he and the younger kids went to the Digital World," Matt lathered his lips with his tongue before continuing. "TK did something incredibly reckless that got Davis injured. Tai stripped him of the goggles and leadership position. He said he was going to go on his own now."

Ms. Takaishi raised her hand to her mouth in disbelief.

"Oh no!" she gasped. "My poor baby."

"He always dreamed of you and Dad getting back together so we could be a family again. This had been building for a long time, Mom. I knew he was a ticking time bomb as far back as June." Matt looked down ashamed. "In a way, I feel responsible for letting this happen. I should have seen it coming."

"No. You didn't do anything wrong, Matt," Ms. Takaishi assured him. "It's my fault. I should have talked to TK about this a long time ago."

Her oldest son looked her dead in the eyes. "Then now's a good time to talk to him. He probably won't listen to me because of the fact that I approved of Dad wanting to propose; I'm a traitor in his eyes. If he hears it from you, he'll probably listen better."

Ms. Takaishi let out a shaky breath. As a mother, this was something she had never planned on encountering. Now, she was forced to confront this situation head on. Her son's happiness and mental health depended on it.

Her head nodded slightly. "Okay," she said. "I'll talk to him when he gets home."

Matt smiled in appreciation. "Thank you."

His mother opened the door a little more, inviting him to come in. "Why don't you stay for a while? Let me show you the apartment."

"No thanks. I have to go." Matt turned away, his eyes darting down to the floor. He stood still for a moment and then walked down the hallway. "Maybe some other time."

* * *

TK stepped out of the elevator doors as soon as they opened and stomped down to Apartment 5 with little to no regard for how late the hour was. He had spent all day going through the Digital World in search of Arukenimon and Mummymon again, but still could find no trace of them. It drove him mad; so much that he went for a walk down on the beach afterwards to clear his head.

The young blonde dug through his pocket for his house key. After two seconds of rummaging, he finally felt the cold metal against his fingertips. He inserted the key and turned the lock. A _click _sounded. TK opened the door and walked into the apartment.

"I'm home, Mom," he called out, taking his shoes off.

"I'm in the living room, TK," Ms. Takaishi replied. "Can you come in here for a second?"

"Sure. Hold on."

TK laid his shoes beside the step and placed the slippers that were waiting at the edge of the hardwood floors on. He treaded lightly into the living room, wondering what his mother had to say.

Ms. Takaishi sat the olive green chair placed against the wall, looking expectantly up at her son. A cup of tea was placed on the coffee table.

"Hi, Mom," he said. "I'm sorry I'm late. I lost track of time."

"Sit down for a second, please."

TK cocked an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked. He wasn't in the mood for this.

"Because I said so," his mother replied soft, but firm. She pointed right to the chair at the other end of the coffee table. "There is something the two of us need to talk about in regards to your recent behavior."

"I keep telling you. It's nothing," TK groaned and looked up at the ceiling, but sat down in the chair. "I've just been under a lot of stress lately."

"TK, you've been skipping school and going out for long periods of time. This is more than stress-related. I need you to be honest with me right now. Remember what we said when you came to live with me after your dad and I separated?"

The blonde looked down at the cherry wood finish of the coffee table, refusing to meet her gaze.

"That we would always be honest with each other," he mumbled.

"That's right," Ms. Takaishi nodded. "I'll be honest with you so long as you do the same for me. That's all I ask." The middle-aged woman took a sip of her hot green tea and held the mug level to her chest.

TK finally looked up to meet her eyes. One look, and he could tell what was on her mind.

"Matt was here, wasn't he?" he said, narrowing his eyes.

His mother nodded. "Yes. He came by a little while ago."

"What did he want?"

"He's worried about you."

TK's glare became darker. "That's it?" he snapped. "That's all he came to tell you?" He scoffed. "No need to be a genius to state the obvious."

"Watch your tone with me, young man," Ms. Takaishi cautioned. "This is more than that. He also told me the reason why you've been behaving this way recently."

TK froze. No! He didn't!

"Does this have to do with your father wanting to ask Rumiko to marry him?"

The boy's body went rigid. His throat clenched up, cutting off any words that wanted to burst out of his voice box. His mouth hung slightly open as he sat like a statue. His silence was all the confirmation his mother needed to know she hit the bullseye.

His mother looked down to her tea and spoke in a soft voice. There was a kind smile that grew as if she was reminiscing about the past. "Your father is a grown man who can make his own decisions about the life he wants to live."

TK's throat finally loosened enough to allow words to come pouring out. When they did, they came out dark and bitter.

"So you're just gonna let this go?" he growled with a glare. "You're not going to try to convince him it's a bad idea? Do you still love him at all?"

"A part of me will always love your father," Ms. Takaishi said with a soft, caring tone. "But there are some relationships no one can fix because the damage has already been done. I've moved on from your dad since we separated. I'm glad to see he's trying to do the same."

"What?" TK gasped, feeling his heart being torn piece by piece inside his chest.

"I know this is going to be a bit of an adjustment, TK, but Rumiko is a nice woman and your father has been a much better person ever since he met her. I'm glad he's found someone who understands him and makes him happy. But one thing will never change: The fact your father loves you and Matt. You'll always be first to him."

TK scoffed. "Yeah, right. He doesn't care. He never stopped to think what this would do to me."

"Do you think if he didn't care, he would have asked for your blessing?" his mother countered.

TK became tongue-tied for a second. He stared at his mother in shock, unable to believe what she was saying.

"How could you let him go?" he finally asked.

Ms. Takaishi sighed. "TK, your father and I were young and our careers kept us apart," she said. "Those things happen. We talked about this after your father and I separated and we started living together. Do you remember?"

TK shot up and pounded his fists on the coffee table. "_**WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO?!**_" he roared, flipping over his chair. All of the anger he had kept inside of him for so long finally came out. "What is wrong with you?! Why would you break up this family?!"

The woman froze in fear at her son's outburst as he paced across the floor with heavy footsteps. His fists quivered with fury. This was a side to TK she had never seen before. He was always her happy-go-lucky, sweet little boy. Now, he was a raging inferno threatening to burn everything in his path.

"How selfish can you be!" he shot. "Can't you tell that Dad still loves you? Don't you want to fix your relationship with Matt?" With an accusatory finger, he added, "Get over whatever bat shit crazy ideas that relationships can't be fixed and go fix it!"

The chair he got up from suddenly shot from the floor and collided with the wall as TK started pacing the floor again. When the chair landed, a large hole marked its presence on the wall.

Ms. Takaishi winced at the sight, but did not remark about it.

"He's using that woman to get over you! He doesn't love her! He still has that photo of the four of us in his wallet!" TK shouted, setting his fiery eyes on his mother.

The woman squeaked and curled further up on her seat as her son came closer. He placed his hands on the chair arms, cutting off any escape and forcing her to look him straight in the eyes. They were shut now, with tears starting to form. Behind him, the couch and coffee table started to move across the room. She guessed that was the Force responding to TK's intense emotions.

"Go stop him! Do the right thing and beg that he take you back!" TK screamed, angry tears falling from his tightly-shut eyes. "_**MAKE US A FAMILY AGAIN!**_"

_**CRACK! **_

The sound of splintering wood filled the room, then everything went silent. Ms. Takaishi looked past her son to see that the coffee table had been splintered in two. There was yet another thing she had to replace.

TK's hands tightly squeezed the arms of the chair, almost to the point that he could disjoint them on his own. Tears dripped from his eyes and his breath came out in choked gasps. He exploded into loud, pained sobs as he collapsed to his knees.

"Why can't you take him back?" TK whimpered, weakly pounding his fists against her thighs. He buried his face in her lap and continued sobbing.

The woman felt no physical pain from the hits, but the sight of her son in so much pain was like a knife in her heart. His cries broke her inside. After listening to him cry for a few moments, she finally had enough and slinked off the chair to her knees.

Ms. Takaishi hugged her son, pressing him into her chest. TK took fistfuls of his mother's shirt as he clung to her. The two kneeled on the ground together with the mother desperately trying to comfort her crying child.

"Shhh," she hushed, rubbing the back of his blonde hair. "It's alright, TK."

A soft hum emanated from her throat as she rocked TK back and forth. This was just like when he would come to her after a nightmare when he was little. TK's cries settled down a little.

"Why won't you fix things?" he asked, wiping his nose as he pulled away from his mother.

Ms. Takaishi sighed, tucking a stray lock of hair back into place. "There are things that can't be fixed," she repeated. "Your father and I made a decision that we felt was right, and we did it. I know it's been hard on you living without your dad and your brother for most of your life, but that does not mean your dad doesn't love you. I'll always be here for you, TK. I'm fine not being with your dad."

TK wiped his eyes free of whatever tears were left. His cheeks were numb from the amount of tears the fell down them, and snot dripped from his nose.

"It's not fair," he sniffled. "You guys gave up on each other, so you gave up on Matt and I and even separated us." More angry tears fell down his face. "It wasn't enough for you to divorce me from my father. You had to divorce me from my brother!"

"I would have taken you both if I could," his mother replied, a sad, regretful look in her eyes. "Matt was adamant about living with your dad though."

TK scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "He _what?_ Why?"

"I don't know." Ms. Takaishi sighed, her eyes glazing over, losing herself in her thoughts. When she came to again, she looked at him sternly. "I did not give up on you two. You mean more to me than anything in this whole world, _Takeru_."

The Jedi of Hope bristled at her calling him by his real name. He hated being called by his real name. His mother's words finally dawned on him, struggling to come up with an idea of why Matt didn't live with them. Then it came to him.

"He blames you, doesn't he?" he said.

His mother looked down in shame. Tears filled her eyes. All of the memories she kept inside from that time finally came back. When the divorce was final, she and her husband sat Matt and TK down and asked them who they wanted to live with. She regretted it now. Seven and four-year-olds should never have to be put in that position, but they were. TK chose her, but Matt stabbed her in the heart with one declaration:

"_No! I want to live with Daddy." _

And that was that. Hiroaki got custody of Matt, while she took TK and moved to Sangenjaya for her job. Matt and his father went to Shinjuku and then Odaiba to be closer to Hiroaki's new job at the newly-constructed Fuji TV building.

"Yes," she murmured. "I'm afraid so."

TK hunched over in thought. Matt felt the same way. He figured that Matt came to terms with the divorce long ago and that's why he accepted Rumiko. It allowed both him and his father the chance to start over. Seeing the actual reason why Matt had a shaky relationship with his mother made him feel somewhat validated. He felt a bit guilty that this new tidbit of information made him feel somewhat better about the whole thing.

His tone was calmer as he said, "Answer me this: If you could go back in time, would you fix things before they got bad, or let it happen again?"

His mother thought about this for a minute. It would have been nice to have a better relationship with Matt. But there was the one thing she got out of the divorce she would never give up.

"I would not," she said. "I believe that there is a plan already made for us when we are born. It was my destiny to meet your father, have you and Matt, and we were meant to not be together." Then she smiled. "But I got the best thing out of it. I got you."

TK lowered his head. Silent tears spilled from his eyes. He wiped them away before asking, "You really believe in destiny and fate?"

Ms. Takaishi nodded. "I do."

TK looked down at the tattoo on his wrist. He briefly noticed some black edges on the shooting star. "I became a Destined Jedi because it was my destiny. I guess..." he sighed sharply. "I don't know if I could ever accept her."

"Even if you don't accept her, you should at least respect your father's decision," his mother said, ruffling his hair. "He deserves to be happy too, and I know Rumiko is the one that can really make a positive difference in his life."

TK wiped away whatever tears were left before standing up. He needed some time to process all of this. Guilt and sadness weighed down like a heavy weight.

"Excuse me," he said as he walked to his bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Ms. Takaishi placed herself back in the chair, waiting for her son to come out with anxious anticipation. She wondered if she managed to get through to him. It would break her heart if TK grew up to be as bitter and angry towards his father as Matt had been to her for several years.

Five minutes later, TK emerged from his bedroom and walked timidly into the living room. His eyes were cast down at the floor until he reached the chair his mother sat in. His head slowly tilted up to reveal a small smile.

"I may not like it," he said, "but I will try to respect Dad's decision."

Ms. Takaishi sighed with relief, standing up to hug her son tight. Her heart swelled with pride. Her boy was growing up ever more by the day.

"That's my boy," she whispered proudly. She ruffled his hair. "Your father loves you. That will never change, TK."

"I know," he replied. His voice was hoarse from all the crying and yelling he did. TK looked back at the damage he had done and flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry about the wreckage. You can take that out of my allowance."

"Don't worry about it."

* * *

The next day, TK trudged over to the warehouse along the bay. Fear rose up in his throat. What would he say to them after what he did? Would they even take him back? There was only one way to find out. He opened the door a peek to check if the others were there. Sure enough, all of them were. He pressed the door open.

The atmosphere went cold as soon as TK peeked his head inside. The others heard the door open behind them and quickly turned, hoping it wasn't a trespasser. Once they saw it was the younger blonde, they relaxed a bit but their glares never let up as he walked inside.

"What are you doing here, TK?" Tai said. "You can't come with us. You're still suspended."

"Yeah, I know," TK replied, looking down at the floor.

"Have you come to apologize then?" Matt asked, folding his arms with a glare. "You didn't come to the meeting yesterday like Davis asked you to."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I came to talk."

"Then talk."

TK swallowed the knot forming in his throat. This was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. He felt his friends eyeing him with suspicion, like he was going to snap at any second. A shaky breath escaped his mouth before speaking.

"I've been kind of a jerk, guys," he said quietly. As he said the words, it hit him how true that statement was. "None of you deserve it. It's because I'm still dealing with some things I've never really taken the time to address before. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I failed all of you."

His hands balled into fists and then relaxed as a way to deal with the tension. None of the other Jedi said a thing. TK worried about what they must be thinking right now.

"I can understand if you guys don't want me to be on the team anymore, but I want to say that I'm truly sorry." He looked at Davis. "Davis, I'm sorry for blowing you off and getting you hurt. It was my fault the mission was a failure. I ruined everything by letting my ego get in the way. I promise I will try to get better."

TK looked down at his wrist. The black that had crept into the border of his tattoo receded a little. His eyes stayed fixed on the ground, awaiting what everyone's reaction would be.

Tai and Matt stepped forward until they were within inches of him. TK's eyes didn't budge and his palms started sweating.

The older blonde put a hand on his younger brother's head and ruffled his hat.

"We're glad to have you back, TK," he said with a smile. Guess his mom must have gotten through to him after all. "We forgive you."

"Just so long as this does not happen again," Tai added.

"It won't," TK assured. His eyes shined with relief at his apology being accepted. This was a chance to start over again, and it was one he would not waste.

The head of the Destined Jedi patted him on the shoulder. "Welcome back, TK."

"I'm glad to be home." The Jedi of Hope then turned his attention to his brother. "Hey, Matt, can we talk really quick? Just you and me."

Matt nodded. "Sure."

The two brothers moved to a separate corner of the warehouse as everyone else went to the computer room.

"What'd you want to talk to me about?" Matt asked. "Just so you know, TK, I'm not the only one you need to apologize to."

"Already done," TK replied quick. "I went to see Dad before I came here. I told him he was free to ask Rumiko to marry him. I may not like that he wants to remarry, but I will respect his decision. You guys deserve to be happy too."

The older blonde gave a genuine bright smile. He gave TK a one-armed hug, then released it.

"Thanks, buddy. Now, let's go. We've got two outlaws to round up."

"Yeah!"

* * *

Mr. Ishida struggled to keep his nerve as he stared at the woman across from him. He was really going to do this. After being a divorced single father for a little over seven years, he was going to take the plunge again. To open his heart to someone else.

The soft jazz music in the restaurant did little to quell his nerves. His hand shook as he dug into his pants pocket. The other adjusted his necktie.

"Rumiko," he said. "I love you. I have never felt this way about anyone after I got divorced and before I met you." His hand brought the black box up to the table and placed it down. He opened it to reveal the shiny diamond ring inside.

Rumiko gasped. "Hiro…"

"Will you marry me?" Mr. Ishida asked, swallowing the knot in his throat.

Rumiko struggled to keep her emotions in check. A bright smile shot up her lips. She was so happy.

"Yes," she nodded, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

* * *

**What awaits the Destined Jedi next on their quest to capture Arukenimon and Mummymon? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**PHEW! That was a lot of work this week, but so worth it. Hope you all are doing well during these crazy times. Thank God I have writing and all of you to keep me sane.**

** I want to thank Super Saiyan 3 Odd for contributing the dialogue after Davis and TK's fight. Thank you, Odd. **

**Poor TK. I really felt bad for him. I was on the end of a divorce too, so I can definitely relate to the struggle he has gone through. He's kept all of that inside of him for years and it came spilling out. **

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review and subscribe as always if you haven't already. We are now hitting the homestretch and going into turn 3 on the last lap so you do not want to miss anything. **

**Good news: the reboot of season one comes out on Sunday! Yay! Followed by the second season of Fruits Basket! Christmas in April for me, guys! Finally, we get something good to happen to us after the disappointment of Kizuna. See you guys next week. **


	33. The Thousand-Year Capital

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: I can understand that, but it wasn't what I wanted to do. I appreciate the thought though. **

**Lord Jaric: Only time will tell. **

**Music Chick: All part of the plan. There is a method to the madness. Trust me. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: No, he is not. **

**Guest: Thank you. That makes me feel proud. **

**Zero and Megaman: We'll see how it all works out. You'll learn a few things before the story is over. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thank you as always for the kind words and insight, Greymon. Like I said last time, I never really recognized this stuff until you brought it up so thank you. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: You bet. It was a terrific idea and it worked perfectly. We will just have to see what happens between them.**

* * *

**Back again, gang. It looks like everything is starting to get a little better out there, but we've got this story to keep us and me going. Thank you guys so much for giving me my best day in terms of views last week with 328 views in one day! You guys are the greatest!**

**What'd you guys think of episode 1 of the reboot? I loved it. I'm honestly really excited for where they take this version of events. **

**We are now going to Kyoto! Yay! I've been anxiously awaiting this chapter for a long time. Hope you guys enjoy it.**

* * *

The warm September days gave way to crisp, cool October days. Autumn wrapped the Japanese home island in its bosom and ushered in the beginning of cold days ahead. The bright, luscious greens of summer turned to the colorful oranges, reds and yellows of fall.

Cody Hida found himself in a pinch on one of these days in early October.

"Come on," he muttered, moving through the entire apartment as a rising sense of panic bubbled up within him. "There has got to be one somewhere. I told her I needed it."

The young boy rummaged through every drawer he could get his hands on. At school that day, he finally used up the last of his notebook paper. His mother told him last week that she would get him a new notebook when she went to the stationary store, but he couldn't find any. She must have forgot.

Or maybe…_he didn't even tell her! _

How could he have been so foolish? With all the recent drama involving TK and also Digital World business, he must have forgotten about how close he was to reaching the end of his notebook. Normally, that would not even be an issue. He'd just wait until he got his allowance on the fifth day of the month.

He looked at the calendar. Today was the fifth of October, and he still had not received his allowance yet. Where was his mom?

Cody burst into the kitchen. "Mom! I need another note–! Huh?"

He stopped. No one was there. Looking around, he found a note attached to the fridge.

_Cody, _

_Grandpa and I will not be back until late. There's leftover rice in the fridge for you to reheat. _

_-Mom. _

The boy sighed in defeat and put the note on the table. Cody had no one but himself to blame. He'd just have to find another way to take notes at school tomorrow. Once he got his allowance, he'd go to the stationary store and buy one, maybe two just to have an extra security blanket. For now, he did not know what he would do.

Suddenly, it hit him. He could borrow paper from someone. Who, though?

TK was a possibility because he lived just two floors below his family's apartment. It had been two weeks since he apologized to the group for his behavior during a mission, which saw him be stripped of his leadership title. He had made progress in that time, but Cody was still a little nervous about approaching him. He had kept his distance from TK ever since and was not sure it was a good idea to ask for a few sheets.

Yolei maybe? No, he thought. He had borrowed so many things from her lately that he didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of her. In that time, Cody had borrowed a pen, a CD, and money that he was going to use his allowance to pay her back with. Just yesterday, he asked if he could borrow a paper clip. She was happy to give those things to him, but he didn't want to be seen as a leech.

Joe was out of the question. The teenager was currently studying for his high school entrance exams. Cody did not want to distract him from studying for his tests, so he thought it wouldn't be right to ask. He had barely seen Joe in the last two weeks.

The boy released a sad sigh and went to the bathroom to get a bath going. After washing himself with the showerhead, he soaked in the tub for quite a while. Once he was done with the bath, he walked back into the kitchen.

Inside the fridge was a Tupperware full of fried rice that Cody, his mother and grandfather had for dinner the previous night. He shrugged. Guess he was having rice two days in a row. He went over to the microwave. Since he was too small to reach it directly, he propped himself up on the counter and put the bowl in. A minute-and-a-half later, followed by another minute of letting the plastic container cool down he pulled it out and took the rice to the table.

"Itadakimasu." Cody said before picking up his spoon to start eating.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

The spoon stopped halfway between his mouth and the container. Who could that be? For a second, he hoped it was his mother but he soon found that not to be the case. She would have just walked in and announced she was home, his grandfather too.

Cody got up and went to the door. He wasn't tall enough to reach the peephole, so he used the Force to determine who stood at the door.

The boy frowned. It was the one person he least wanted to see. Nevertheless, it was rude to leave someone standing in front of the door when one was home. He opened the door.

Ken nervously smiled in greeting, a plastic bag in his hand. "Hi, Cody."

"What do you want, Ken?" Cody bit. Even though Ken was generous enough to buy him ice cream that one time, it didn't do anything to change how Cody felt about the older boy.

Ken sensed the hostility emanating from the small boy but brushed it aside. He looked down at the bag in his hand.

"I was just in the neighborhood and I had a feeling you needed a notebook or two, so I got you some," he said, pulling two large, spiral notebooks out of the bag. "They're the big ones, so they'll take a while to fill up."

Cody's eyes widened. How did Ken know that he needed them? He didn't remember asking anyone else in the group about it.

"How did you –?" he started to say.

Ken shrugged. "I'm not sure," he replied. "I just had a feeling you needed a notebook, but had no money to get it with, so I went down to the stationary store and came all the way here to give them to you."

Cody eyed the two notebooks like they were a gold pocket watch being swung side to side. His hand screamed at his brain for permission to reach out and take them, but it held back. What was Ken's angle? What did he want in exchange for these? Cody was unsure. Ken had been with the team for a month and was made a full member just the day before, but the young boy still had reservations about him.

The need for the notebooks became too great, and Cody accepted them with a nod.

"Thank you," he said. "You really saved my life, Ken."

"You're welcome," Ken replied with a nod.

A vision passed before Cody's eyes. He saw him and Ken sitting across from each other at his kitchen table and talking. Was this what the interaction would result in? He did choose to open the door and accept the notebooks.

"W-Would you like to come inside?" he asked.

"No, that's okay," the older boy declined. "I don't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be."

Ken thought about it for a second, and then nodded. "Okay."

Cody moved over to let him inside. Wherever this went, he hoped he would not regret it later.

Ken looked around and marveled at the inside of the Hida home as they walked to the kitchen. It was so much different compared to his. He rarely ever went to someone else's home, so this was new for him.

When they reached the living room, a small shrine near the sliding glass doors caught his attention. Incense sticks that had long since stopped burning sat stuck in the holder. Ken looked up and saw a photo on top of the shelf of a man in a police uniform.

"Who's that?" he asked.

Cody stopped and looked. His throat went dry and he bit his lip. His eyes cast downward. "That's my father," he replied. "He was killed in the line of duty three years ago while protecting the Japanese ambassador in London."

Ken eyed the picture with sadness. He and Cody were really not that different after all. Both lost someone close to them around the same time. The main difference was in how they handled it. While Cody used the loss of his father to do good, he used Sam's death to do evil things.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. Ken folded his hands in prayer to pay his respects for the man's soul. He bowed when he was finished before joining Cody in the kitchen.

The Tupperware of fried rice had become slightly cold in the two minutes that Cody had been gone. The two Destined Jedi sat across from each other in silence. Cody scooped up a spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth.

The awkward silence hung over the room like a heavy winter blanket. Neither Ken nor Cody knew what to say to each other. How do you talk to someone that at one time made it their mission to kill you and your friends? The same could also be said about someone that hated your guts.

Ken couldn't take the stillness anymore. He had to say something.

"Nice house you have here."

Cody cocked an eyebrow out of instinct, but relaxed at the simplicity of the statement.

"Thank you," he muttered, popping in another spoonful of rice. Without looking at Ken, he added, "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you." Ken rubbed his wrist with his thumb, looking down at it.

Cody pressed his lips together, unsure on what to do next. He decided to trust his vision and puts his spoon down on the table to lock eyes with Ken.

"Have you always been able to feel when someone needs something?" he asked.

"I guess so. Even when I was the Emperor, I could sense it. I would say that's my power that stems from being the Jedi of Kindness."

Cody narrowed his eyes like he just smelled something bad. "Sensing what others need and using it for future manipulation, I bet," he said bitterly.

"I am ashamed to say that you are correct," Ken shot firmly. "Did I wrong you in another life, Cody Hida? How much must I prove myself before you're satisfied?"

Cody was taken aback by the answer. A slight feeling of guilt swelled up in his throat. He pressed his lips together again, this time from the guilt. His answer was soft this time.

"I want to trust you because everyone is beginning to." He looked to a corner on the table. "I'm more cautious than others though."

"Why?"

Cody's lips continued their sumo match with each other, unsure of how to answer that question.

"Forgive me," he said, "I'm not trying to bring up the past, but you nearly killed two of my friends. That's not easy to forget." The boy then glanced at his father's shrine. "How do I know it won't happen again?

Ken took a deep breath. He should have known that was all this was about. Every so often, he would hear the voice of the Emperor whispering in his ear. _"Come on back, Kenny boy. I miss you…You don't need them, Kenny boy. You only need me…I'm always here, Kenny boy." _Ken shook the words out of his head.

"_What are you waiting for, Kenny? Kill him right now! There are no witnesses." _

Goosebumps shot up his arms. That was new. Ken tried to ignore the voice in his head as he finally spoke.

"I'm not who I was then, Cody," he said. "I can guarantee you that."

"_He'll never trust you, Kenny. It's not worth the effort. He's nothing but an insect." _

'_Shut up!' _Ken snapped at the voice in his head before following Cody's gaze to the shrine. "Is this about what I said about your father that one time?" he asked.

"Yes," the boy bit, glaring at him with disdain. "You said that he died like a dog, but he died a hero. He saved someone's life!" Cody crossed his arms as he sat back in his chair. "I promised that day I would never forgive my father's murder. I would find a way to make it right one day. I made that promise about you too. Now my friends accepted you in to the team…" –he scrunched his face– "…And I have to trust them. So far you haven't done anything to harm us, and Davis is convinced you're a different person. People aren't always what they seem."

"I see," Ken murmured, leaning forward on his elbows. He picked at the skin on his chin in thought. "Cody, I can't bring your father back, nor do I think you can help me forgive myself for what I did to Sam, but that doesn't mean I don't understand where you're coming from."

Cody turned back to look at the notebooks Ken brought. They were piled next to him. "I really am grateful for the notebooks," he said.

"You're welcome," replied Ken.

It was then that Cody realized something. "Truth be told, you're confusing me."

A nervous smile rose from Ken. "How so?"

"You used that ability of yours to sense I wanted ice cream at the mall. Why?"

Ken played with his fingers to try and keep his nerves at bay. It worked a little, but did not completely settle him down. "I know it's probably too much to ask, but I want to ask for your forgiveness. Being with all of you this past month has made me see things in a different way. I don't want to go back to what I used to be."

"Forgiveness is earned, though, not just given," Cody replied. He shrugged. "At the same time I'll try to give you a chance. If everyone else can, then I'll try."

"I can respect that," Ken said with a slight nod.

The two sat quietly. Cody fed himself spoonful after spoonful of rice as he thought about things. He still was not ready to give Ken all of his trust, not by a long shot, but he was tired of playing this game. Joe had started coming around to Ken being in the group, so why couldn't he? That was a question he was going to have to dig deep to find the answer to.

He looked down. "Want some rice?" he asked quietly.

Ken nodded. "Sure. I'd like some."

Cody went to a cabinet and pulled out a rice bowl for Ken. He also grabbed an extra spoon before returning to the table. Using his spoon, he dumped in a good amount of rice until Ken told him to stop.

Ken accepted the bowl with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Once Cody reorganized himself, they both clapped their hands together.

"Itadakimasu!"

* * *

The wind was slightly chilled as it blew through the narrow streets. It was a light breeze rather than a gust, which made the day more enjoyable. The smell of gasoline mixed in with the scent of leaves and jasmine that hung in the air as cars and motorcycles drove by Kyoto station.

A block away, Kyoto Tower loomed over downtown like the watchtowers of old, standing guard to alert the city of danger. Much like Tokyo Tower, it was a tourist attraction, giving people the best views of Kyoto and allowing them to see as far as Osaka.

Kyoto served as the capital of Japan for over a thousand years from the end of the Nara period in the late eighth century until the end of the Edo period in 1869. Without official decree from the Emperor, the royal court moved from Kyoto to the city of Edo in the east. Edo was soon renamed Tokyo, meaning "eastern capital". This led to a dispute that lasted for many years over which city was the rightful capital of Japan until Tokyo finally overtook Kyoto as the center of governmental power.

The city was also known for a short time as "Saikyo" – western capital – before becoming Kyoto again. It was considered a possible place for the atomic bomb to be dropped by U.S. forces during World War II, but was ultimately spared. Today, the city served as the cultural capital of Japan with over 2,000 temples and shrines.

Yolei Inoue took in the sights and smells with an overwhelming sense of wonder. All of the history was completely off her mind. Kyoto may as well have been the Emerald City from the _Wizard of Oz _to her. Her class was taking a trip for the weekend to see all the history there.

Already, her class had been to Kinkaku-ji, the golden temple; Kiyomizu-dera, one of the most well known Buddhist temples in the city; and Shimogamo shrine, the oldest shrine in Kyoto. It was established in the 6th century, over two-hundred years before the city became the capital. And that was just the beginning.

A flash of auburn caught her eyes in the crowd ahead. For a second, Yolei thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

'_Sora?' _

Up ahead, a girl that looked about Sora's age with the same height, figure, and haircut stood with a crowd of people waiting to cross the street. Her back was to Yolei, so the girl could not get a good look to be absolutely sure.

If it was her, what was Sora doing in Kyoto? Yolei didn't remember the Jedi of Love saying anything about an upcoming trip to the city when she told her about her class trip.

"Hey, Yolei! Come on!" one of her friends called.

The Jedi of Love and Sincerity snapped out of her daze. Maybe she was just imagining things. Auburn hair was a more common thing in Japan than people thought. It was just a coincidence. She ran to join her class group as they boarded the bus.

* * *

Buzzing and laser clashing together filled the rocky plain as two green lightsabers, four blue lightsabers, and a purple slammed against two red ones. One of the red lightsaber holders pushed back against the blue and green wielders, jumping over them and attacking from behind. Both Jedi halted the attack before it could do its intended damage.

Tai and Izzy led a small group of Jedi that consisted of Davis, TK, Cody, Mimi, and Kari to the Digital World to find Arukenimon and Mummymon for one last confrontation. Joe was studying for his tests, Sora was busy with other things, and Yolei was on her class trip so they couldn't come. Matt and Ken were doing more training exercises since Ken could not be involved in saber combat.

Mummymon used his agility to avoid any attacks from the group of five Jedi that surrounded him. TK went over the top to slice through Mummymon. He missed. When he turned around, a punch hit him straight in the face.

Cody leapt right for the mummy, his green saber pointed right for his chest. Mummymon turned just in time and hit the boy with a boot right to the chin. The saber fell from Cody's hand and hit the ground just as he did. He saw stars for a good second.

Arukenimon's spun around like a figure skater of death while using her lightsaber to keep Tai and Izzy at bay. The two boys deflected and staved off the attack in hopes she would become too dizzy and stop. Finally, the woman ceased spinning and thrust her arms out to blow them back with the Force.

"You brats thought you could stop us?" she snickered before picking Izzy up and throwing him right into Tai. The two Jedi flew four feet before hitting the ground with Izzy on top. "Haven't we proven by now that you can't stop us? Especially two Jedi that can't use the Force."

Tai pushed Izzy off, then slowly sat up. His breath came out in short, ragged gasps to get his air back. His eyes glared at the woman in red.

"They're kicking our butts, Izzy. What do we do?" he asked the Jedi of Knowledge.

"I –"

"AHHHHHH!" Suddenly the other five Jedi landed right beside the two boys. This was bad.

Mummymon watched with a dark chuckle. "Foolish Jedi," he said, brandishing his red lightsaber with a glint in his eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be more of a challenge." He turned to his partner. "I've just realized something, Arukenimon."

"What is that, Mummymon?"

"We've been so focused on capturing those two Jedi that we've never taken the time to have some fun. Let's cause a little chaos for chaos' sake."

Arukenimon smirked, realizing what he was hinting at. "I like that plan very much, Mummymon."

She put her hand down on the ground and chanted a spell. Several large piles of black goo rose from the ground as her words grew louder in tone. They took shape into bi-pedal figures, still covered in shadow, and then shot up into the air and disappeared.

The Destined Jedi watched in utter fascination and bewilderment.

"What did you do?" Cody breathed in shock.

Arukenimon snickered. "You'll see. I'd be mindful of what happens to your friends, young Jedi."

The group of Jedi tightened their hands on their sabers. All seven multicolored blades shot out from their holders. The two sides stared each other down.

In Kyoto, a large beam of purple light shot out from a covered well. The bamboo cover blew right off into hundreds of little pieces of bamboo shoot.

* * *

Yolei turned around and peered down the street. What was that feeling she just felt? A large amount of dark Force energy suddenly emerged nearby. This could not be good. She tried to put it off by listening to her teacher talk.

"Alright, kids. Be back in two hours. Take some time to enjoy yourselves, but be careful."

"Yes, sensei!" the kids chorused before splitting off in different directions.

Yolei walked around the narrow streets near Heian shrine, looking for something to buy for her family. That dark feeling grew stronger the further she ventured into the district. What was it?

Suddenly, large black figures stepping lightly like a funeral procession strutted out from an alleyway. Yolei jumped back from the shock. What were those? She looked around. People went about their day like normal, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

'_Are those Digimon?' _Yolei wondered. Their Force energy was similar. What were they doing in Kyoto?

Thoughts of gifts for her family and friends became a distant memory as Yolei followed the group of figures. She was going to get to the bottom of this.

The group walked slowly through the district and over a bridge going right towards the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Yolei followed them step for step, but it soon became taxing on her. She was not the fastest nor strongest runner, so having to run for long periods to keep up almost wiped her out. Up ahead, a stop light started acting all wonky, changing every second and causing confusion for drivers and pedestrians.

Yolei closed her eyes, panting in exhaustion as she kept running. Her body screamed for her to stop, but she kept on going. Soon, she was in the gardens surrounding the Imperial Palace.

"Stop…Digimon?" she cried.

One of the figures stopped and looked back. It shed its cloak of goo to finally reveal its true form. It was a large ape with yellow fur and a bone attached to its back. Its grey face and striking green eyes glared at Yolei in confusion. It looked around. What was this place, and why was it here? It turned and jumped up onto the roof of a nearby building.

"Okay. Here we go," Yolei gasped, trying to convince herself to keep going. A Digimon was now loose in Kyoto. She took off down the street.

"Look out!"

Yolei looked up, but it was too late. She collided with someone, landing on top of them. Both her and the unfortunate bystander groaned in pain. Yolei sat up and turned to apologize.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to –"

"Watch where you're going!"

Yolei's eyes widened. That voice. The other person involved in the collision sat up and rubbed their through their hair. _Auburn hair. _The face finally was revealed.

"Sora?" she asked timidly, wanting to be absolutely sure.

Sora shook herself out and looked back. Her eyes widened.

"Yolei?"

The two stared for what felt like an eternity. Sora wore a grey cardigan over a sky blue shirt, blue jeans, and brown calf-length go-go boots. Yolei was in shock. She _knew _that had to have been Sora earlier! Why hadn't she noticed?

"Hi!" Yolei greeted, pulling the Jedi of Love up and giving her a hug. "What are you doing here?"

Sora smiled back. "Hey! I'm here to surprise my dad with a visit," she said. "He's been a guest lecturer at Kyoto University this whole school year while doing research out here too. I haven't seen him in a while, and really wanted to so I came."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I only thought about it two days ago. You were already gone for your school trip."

Yolei then remembered what she had been doing before running into Sora.

"Come on, Sora!" she said, pulling the older girl along. "There is a Digimon loose here in Kyoto. We have to find it before someone gets hurt."

Sora jumped right into action and ran alongside her. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

A little ways ahead, a man and a woman stood by a storefront near the canal. The man looked deep into the woman's eyes with pure infatuation. The woman looked at him with just as much admiration.

"At last, we are alone," he said.

"Yeah," the woman replied softly.

Suddenly, the camera turned off and back on. All the graphics suddenly went crazy.

The cameraman blinked his eyes and shouted, "What the hell?!"

"What's the matter, John?" the male actor asked. The lighting man also stopped what he was doing to see what was wrong.

The cameraman was a young male either nineteen or twenty years of age. His face made him look a lot like Jet Li, but with glasses. His black hair was cut short and well kept, styled to the side. He wore a brown jacket over a cream shirt and grey pants.

"Something's up with the camera," the man said. "I don't know what happened. It just suddenly stopped working."

From above, a figure jumped down from the roof and crushed the camera under its foot. Wires, film, and other machinery spilled out from the destroyed camera.

The actress screamed, "What is that?"

Sora and Yolei rounded the corner to the scene in front of them. They looked at each other and nodded, bringing their sabers to life. The Digimon turned its attention to the cameraman just as the two female Jedi jumped out to attack.

"Get away from here!" Sora instructed to the actors and lighting man. They wordlessly nodded and ran as far away as they could.

"Sora, watch out!" Yolei cried.

The Jedi of Love turned back around and was met with a kick to the chest. She stumbled back and pointed her lightsaber out to keep the beast back. Yolei stood behind the Digimon to keep it cornered.

"We've got to drive it away from here," Sora told herself. She looked down the river and saw a bridge with no people on it. "Yolei! Draw him over to that bridge down there!"

"Are you crazy?" Yolei cried as the beast turned its attention to her.

"Trust me! Let's send it back to the Digital World. We have to do this fast."

The lavender-haired girl took a shaky breath and muttered, "I sure hope you know what you're doing," before shouting, "Hey, big guy! This way! Come and get me!"

Yolei took off running down the street. Like a moth to a flame, the ape Digimon followed her. Her fear picked up with every stride she made. Hopefully Sora knew what she was doing with this plan.

"That's it. Keep going." Sora said, staying back a ways behind the two.

Yolei soon made it to the bridge. She turned around and pointed her green lightsaber at the Digimon.

"Okay, now what?" she asked Sora.

The ape took a step forward. Yolei slashed the air in front of her to keep it back. The creature stayed put, eyeing the saber with fear.

"Open a portal," Sora instructed. "Send it back to the Digital World."

"How are we going to –" Yolei started to say, but the ape swung its bone at her. She dodged the attack by ducking her head. Yolei then used the Force to push it against the railing across the way.

Sora ran and wrapped the beast up in a full Nelson to slow it down. The creature thrashed around in her grip, but Sora stayed strong.

"Open the portal now! I can't hold on much longer!" she yelled.

Yolei nodded and concentrated on opening a portal. One appeared two seconds later. She looked back to Sora to await any other instructions.

"When I count to three, I'm going to let go," the auburn-haired Jedi said. "When I do, use the Force to throw him in the portal. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright. One. Two. _Three!" _

Sora shoved the Digimon away from her. Yolei was ready to summon the Force as she lifted the ape off the ground a little. It hovered for a second before she threw it into the portal. The vortex closed just after it disappeared.

"Nice work," Sora patted Yolei on the shoulder. "Glad that's over."

"Yeah," Yolei agreed. "Hopefully nothing else will happen from now on."

"They're over here, Professor."

The girls looked at the end of the bridge and saw the young man from earlier standing there. Another gentleman came up to stand beside him. The man looked late thirties to early forties. His hair was dark grey from years of hard work, and he wore a bottle green jacket, a black polo underneath and dark pants. He eyed the two girls with curious black eyes.

Sora's eyes widened with excitement when she saw the man. "Yolei!" she gasped, tapping her on the shoulder. "There's my dad!"

"Cool," Yolei replied.

"Sora?" the man said.

Sora's excitement took over her body. She ran right towards the man without a second to waste. Yolei followed behind her at a slower pace.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, opening her arms to hug him with an excited laugh.

The man's eyes lit up and he took her into his arms once she reached him. He squeezed her tightly and picked her up. The two laughed joyously as they were reunited.

"Sora, my little cherry blossom," her father laughed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming."

Sora squeezed her father tightly. "I wanted to surprise you with a visit."

"And what a wonderful surprise it is."

The two ended the embrace.

"I've missed you so much, Daddy."

"I'm glad you're here, sweetheart," the professor nodded. "Maybe we can go around the city. Wherever you want to go, we'll go."

Sora smiled even wider than she thought possible. "Deal!" she squealed. A second later, she took a breath and spoke normally. "Mom says hello and that she misses you."

Her father smiled. "How is your mother these days?"

"She's good." Sora looked back at Yolei. The younger girl tilted her head to the side and frowned. She blushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Yolei," she apologized with a nervous laugh. "Daddy, this is my friend, Yolei Inoue. She's here on a class field trip. We ran into each other just a few moments ago. Yolei, this is my father, Professor Haruhiko Takenouchi."

Professor Takenouchi bowed and shook the girl's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Yolei."

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Yolei smiled and shook his hand in return. "Sora's told me so much about you."

The man blushed. "Hopefully she left out the part about me being a deadbeat dad," he said with a laugh.

"Only the good parts. I promise."

"Daddy, don't talk that way about yourself!" Sora laughed. "You're not a deadbeat dad."

Professor Takenouchi looked down at Yolei's wrist, which was covered by her sleeve. He was curious about something. "Are you one of _them_, like Sora is?" he asked.

Yolei's face paled. A drop of sweat ran down her brow.

"I don't know what you mean, sir," she respectfully replied. "Sora's just my tutor."

"May I have a look?" The professor didn't wait for her reply as he pulled her sleeve back. The mark on her wrist of the symbols of Love and Sincerity was exposed. He looked at it for a few moments and then smiled.

"I knew it," he said. "You're one of the Destined Jedi."

Yolei's jaw dropped. How did he know? Her mind scrambled for an explanation, but nothing was coming up.

"Oh, um…" she stuttered. She looked to Sora for help, unsure of what to do.

Sora gave her an assuring nod and smiled. "It's okay. He knows."

Yolei took a deep breath, relieved that she could speak freely about this now. She nodded.

"Uh, yes, sir. I am the Jedi of Love and Sincerity," she said to the professor. "Sora's been training me since I became a Destined Jedi at the start of the school year."

Professor Takenouchi smiled. "I see," he looked at his daughter. "I'm sure she's done a wonderful job with you from what I can tell."

"It has not been easy, but we've managed to work with it," Sora replied with a nervous chuckle. Yolei nodded in agreement.

The young man cleared his throat to remind everyone he was still there. The professor turned and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry, John," he said. "Girls, this is my teaching assistant –"

"John Kido," the young man finished and bowed to them. "Nice to meet you both. You probably know my brother."

Sora blinked. "John Kido?" she asked. Her hand went up to her chin. A second later, she said, "Is your brother Joe Kido by any chance?"

John laughed. "Yup. The one and only."

"No way! Really? That's so cool!" Yolei exclaimed. She got a good look at him, and blushed at how cute he was. "I must say, you're kinda cute, John."

"Yolei!" Sora chastised, blushing with embarrassment. She gave the young man an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, John. She's kinda boy crazy."

"Think nothing of it. How is my kid brother these days, he staying out of trouble?"

"Yes, he is," Sora replied with a smile. "He's doing quite well."

"Good. I wasn't around when the events of three years ago happened, I was in Osaka at the time. But I know enough about you guys to be well-aware of the situation. I go to school here at KU and was in the med program for the first month. It just so happened that I also had a class with the professor here. I was so inspired by his lecture that I switched to archeology right away." John rubbed the back of his head nervously and let out a shaky chuckle. "Man, was my dad upset when he found out."

"I can imagine," Sora said, having heard all about their father from Joe.

"He was like, '_You are no son of mine! Get out of this house!_'" John laughed, deepening his voice to imitate his father. "But Mom smoothed things over and we're okay now.

Yolei sighed with relief. "That's good to hear."

Sora nodded in agreement.

"I told him I planned to become a doctor of archeology, if that counted. Our oldest brother Jim's on his way to becoming a doctor; he's got three years left in the med program at Tokyo U. Jimbo always was a little more passionate about the medical field than I was."

Yolei listened wide-eyed. This was so fascinating. Joe had never told her this before. "Wow! The way you talk about him, I'm sure Jim is going to be a great doctor someday."

"Thanks," John said with a wink and smile. "I think so too."

Sora folded her fingers together at her waist and looked over at her father. There was something she wanted to tell him. For that, she wanted to be alone from John and Yolei.

"Excuse me, Daddy? Can I talk to you for one minute?" she asked, then glanced at the other two people with them. "Alone?"

Her father nodded. "Of course. I don't mind."

Sora looked at John and Yolei. "You don't mind either, do you? It'll be quick."

They both bowed in understanding.

"Two minutes," Sora promised, flashing two fingers to Yolei.

Yolei shrugged, not at all concerned. "I'll give you five," she said, showing Sora all of her fingers.

"John, take Yolei and get the car ready," the professor ordered his assistant. "We'll be giving these lovely ladies a road tour of Kyoto. "

John nodded. "Yes, sir. Come on, Yolei."

"Okay."

The two of them walked over to the yellow Volkswagen Beetle that was parked a few yards away. Sora and her father walked down the canal until Yolei and John were out of sight.

Once the father-daughter duo were far enough away, Professor Takenouchi asked in a low voice, "What did you want to tell me, sweetheart?

Sora hugged him again and replied, "I'll make it quick because I know you need to get back to John."

"That's okay. John can wait. What is it?"

Sora cast her eyes down nervously, touching her index fingers together and tapping them rhythmically. This was it. This was something she had told no one other than her mother. She was embarrassed to say it out loud, but her dad needed to know.

"I have a secret I want to tell you," she mumbled, cheeks reddening until it looked like an extension of her hair. "It's not a big deal, but I didn't want to say it in front of Yolei." Sora looked around to make sure no one was listening before saying in a whisper, "Remember Tai?"

Her father's eyes brightened. "Ah, Tai." He nodded. "Yes. I remember him quite well. The two of you were inseparable back in grade school. You spent more time at his house than you ever did at home."

"Yeah. We were." Sora wrestled against the shyness that threatened to overwhelm her. "He asked me out," a larger smile grew on her face, "and I said yes."

It felt like a weight had just been lifted off of her shoulders. She and her father always shared everything with each other from the time she was a little girl. Their relationship was built on openness and trust; no matter what it was, they could always be honest with each other. It's why things at home were better whenever he was around before she and her mom worked things out. Sora gazed at her father with nervous eyes, awaiting his reaction.

"That's wonderful!" he exclaimed, hugging her tight. His little girl was growing up. It was happening so fast that he realized just how much he had missed due to his travels. "Oh, Sora. I'm so happy for you."

Sora hugged him back. "Thank you," she replied before letting go. She had to make sure of something first. "You like Tai, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Tai is, from what I gather, a great kid and you could not have chosen better than him. He's been your best friend since you two were still in diapers."

"Daddy!" Sora blushed with embarrassment.

Professor Takenouchi chuckled. "I'm just teasing you, honey. Does your mom know?"

"She knows. I swore her to secrecy though. None of my other friends know yet, so can you please not say anything about it in front of Yolei and John? Tai and I plan on telling everyone soon, but not now. He hasn't even told _his_ parents yet."

"I don't mean to pry, sweetheart, but why are we keeping this a secret?"

Sora blushed and looked down again. "Because Tai and I want to take some time to enjoy being together without everyone knowing about it," she said. "They are going to be all over us when it gets out. Plus, there are still things that need to be done so we don't want to create an unnecessary distraction for everyone else."

Her father nodded with a proud smile. "I think that is a very mature decision, Sora," he said.

"Do we have an agreement?"

The man nodded and dragged his thumb and forefinger across his mouth. It thinned into a line as he pretended to zip his mouth shut. "You have my silence, honey."

"Thank you, Daddy!" Sora hugged him again. "You're the best!"

"No problem, sweetheart," her father said, hugging her back with equal vigor. "You know me; your dear old dad will not spill his guts to anyone about your secret."

"Thanks."

* * *

Tai reeled back from a straight kick to the face and fell to the ground. His hand went to his jaw, feeling around to make sure everything was okay. Nothing was broken. This fight was getting to be more difficult than he thought. Not so far away, Mummymon tangoed with Izzy, Mimi, TK, Davis, and Cody. Even with five Jedi against him, Mummymon jumped and glided with stunning agility.

The Jedi of Courage picked up his lightsaber and turned around to see a red lightsaber pointed between his eyes.

Arukenimon licked her lips hungrily, like a tiger about to go in for the kill. She swung her saber back, ready to strike the leader down. Before she could deliver the blow, Kari jumped on her and tackled the woman to the ground. Arukenimon's lightsaber tumbled away from her grasp.

"Why you little –" she growled.

A purple boot struck Kari in the side of the head. The girl grabbed her head and fell off. Arukenimon leapt for her lightsaber and grabbed it before getting up. This time, she was met by a lightsaber pointed at her chest.

"Come on," Tai said, breathing heavily as he squeezed the hilt.

Kari stumbled to her feet, and activated her saber too. The Kamiya siblings had the woman cornered. Arukenimon, however, was cool as a cucumber. This was all part of the plan.

"Alright," she snickered, flicking her tongue across her lips. "You asked for it. I wanted to get out of this dreaded body anyway."

Tai and Kari gasped in horror as Arukenimon changed before their eyes. Her two legs became six, her body grew and elongated to a spider's abdomen. Her gloves transformed into long arms with razor-like claws, and her sunglasses came off to reveal wide, bloodthirsty eyes. Two long red and yellow horns jutted out the side of her head. The abdomen was styled in a purple and red stripe pattern and a red half-mask covered the top of her face, leaving her mouth filled with pointed teeth exposed.

Kari screamed at the grotesque sight.

"Yes, I know I'm pretty," Arukenimon cackled, her voice sounding more twisted. "But not as pretty as the sight of a dead Jedi."

Her six legs carried her forward. Tai slashed the air between them, almost grazing her chest.

"Stay back!" he ordered.

The arachnid woman glared at him. The lightsaber hummed dangerously close. A single touch from that sword could vaporize her in an instant. Without the use of her own saber, she was more vulnerable in this form.

"Who are you?" Tai asked. "Why are you here?"

"I am merely my master's servant," Arukenimon snickered. "Whatever he orders, I must do. He wants you all destroyed, so I must destroy you."

"Why?" Kari shot.

"Only my master knows the reason for that."

"Who is your master?" demanded Tai, getting tired of this conversation. It was going nowhere. "Tell us."

A pause. The spider woman grinned impishly, like this was all a game to her. Tai became even angrier.

"Tell us now!" He pointed his lightsaber at her in a threatening way.

Rapid blaster fire shot into the air behind them. Tai and Kari looked back to see their friends deflecting blue blaster bolts speeding at them. The owner of the blaster was a large mummy stereotypically wrapped in bandages, but with a purple bandana on its head. One eye was covered, but that did not hinder its ability to shoot with precise aim. This was Mummymon's true form.

The Kamiya siblings turned around, ready to drive their sabers through Arukenimon. But she vanished. Gone. Nowhere to be found. Kari closed her eyes and quieted her mind to sense her location. She didn't need to.

A cackle filled the air.

Arukenimon now stood next to Mummymon as he pointed his blaster at the children.

"See ya," she said. "Come, Mummymon."

"Right with you."

The mummy jumped onto her back and unleashed another spray of blaster fire as cover. The two Digimon escaped as the Jedi deflected away blaster bolts. Once they were far enough away, Mummymon ceased firing and they vanished.

"Damn it!" Tai cursed. "They got away again."

"What are we going to do now? It's like this is all a game to them," said Mimi.

TK nodded. "I think they do see it as a game, Mimi. There's something else behind this though. Whoever this master of theirs is, they must have something big planned to keep allowing Arukenimon and Mummymon to attack us and then run off."

"I'll try contacting Gennai," said Izzy. "Maybe he can help us."

"Why not try asking me?"

The group nearly jumped out of their skins. A deep, baritone voice that did not belong to either of them came out of nowhere.

"Who said that?" Davis called out, turning his head both ways.

A swift breeze of wind blew against them. A dog-like creature with a red cloak and a horn at the end of its muzzle now stood in front of the Jedi, eyeing them with its golden eyes.

"I did," the Digimon said.

Davis and Cody gasped, stepping back in shock. Izzy stepped forward and bent down to the creature's level.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met. I'm –" he started to introduce himself.

"Izzy Izumi," the Digimon finished. "The Jedi of Knowledge." It looked at Tai. "Tai Kamiya, Jedi of Courage," then Mimi, "Mimi Tachikawa, Jedi of Sincerity."

It named all the others and what virtues they embodied, leaving the Jedi completely astounded. He knew them, but they didn't know him.

Tai gasped. "He knows us."

"My name is Hackmon, and I am a messenger for Homeostasis."

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER! What will Hackmon have to say? How will things go in Kyoto? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**That was part one of two because this chapter would have been over 10k words if I let it be in its original state. I wouldn't force you guys to read all of that in one go. I would have done a double shot like I did with chapters 24 and 25, but Easter is tomorrow. Happy Easter to you all, by the way. Even with the world in the current state it is in, we still have lots to be thankful for. **

**Expect the rest of the episode next week so that I can stay on schedule. Hope I didn't bore you guys with all the history of Kyoto. I went there when I went to Japan last summer almost exclusively as research for this section ;-) The fruits of that will come next chapter. **

**What'd you guys think of Sora's interaction with her father? That was a golden opportunity for them to show us their relationship in the series, but they blew it! Ah well, just like with a lot of things, they left it to me to do that for you. Also, if you remember from Destined Jedi, John is the name I came up with for Joe's other brother Shuu. I hated that they glossed over that in the English dub and just made him Jim. **

**As always, review and subscribe if you have not already. I always love hearing your guys' insights and thoughts. **

**Have a happy and safe Easter and I will see you all next weekend with the conclusion. **


	34. Prophecy

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Then have me arrested for doing a cliffhanger :p **

**Ackbarfan5556: May have been an unconscious thing I did. Thanks as always, pal. **

**Morgan638: Thank you for the review and kind words. You'll just have to wait and see about that soon ;-) **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thank you for your insights as always, Greymon. The comment about Sora made me laugh. You will find out what Hackmon wants to say in just a moment. **

**Shoutout to savezero for the favorite.**

* * *

**Hope you guys had a good week. Not much to say this week except for here we go with the continuation of the last chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

The three older Jedi fell quiet. Davis and Cody were confused. Tai looked at Kari, remembering the entity that took over her body to tell them the history of the Destined Jedi. Its name was Homeostasis.

"What message have you come to deliver?" he asked Hackmon.

Hackmon's expression stayed neutral. Its words were slow.

"Darkness is slowly creeping in again," it said. "It will not be long before it completely swallows the Digital World. We need the Chosen One and the rest of you to fight it."

"Chosen One?" The Jedi asked collectively. This was an interesting development.

"The Chosen One is already in your midst. The one who once was the Digimon Emperor, now a Destined Jedi."

"Ken," Davis gasped, his eyes wide as dinner plates.

Hackmon nodded. "Yes. With the Chosen One's return, the prophecy has begun to play out."

"Prophecy?" Izzy said. "What prophecy? Gennai never said anything about this before."

"Homeostasis instructed Gennai not to tell you because the Chosen One had fallen to the powers of darkness," Hackmon replied. "But now that he has returned, it is an appropriate time to tell you. There is a prophecy that states, '_Only kindness will restore balance twice by destroying the snake in the garden and ending a war without swords. The Darkness will try to destroy the Light, but only by purifying both can peace be restored.'_"

"Purifying both darkness and light can restore peace," Izzy repeated. That was about as clear as a dirty window.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mimi asked annoyed. She was tired of prophecies and riddles that made completely no sense on the surface. Did those always have to be so cryptic?

"That's for you all to figure out," Hackmon replied. "Good luck, Destined Jedi. May the Force be with you."

A portal opened behind the creature. It then floated backwards into the portal before the children could say anything more.

* * *

Torii gate after Torii gate went by with the frequency of three per step. As the small group walked further up the mountain, the gates got larger and were not as close together as at the bottom, which stacked up as much as five per step.

Fushimi Inari shrine was famous for the many Torii gates that led up the mountain: 10,000 in all. The shrine did not build a single one of them; all were donated over the centuries and decades. It was established in the year 711 – eighty-three years before Kyoto became the capital of Japan – as a shrine to the god of crops, Inari. Today, it's one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. The path went up to the top of Mt. Inari, a two-hour hike for those that wanted to go to the peak. The view at the top was an amazing view of downtown Kyoto.

On this day, it was every bit packed due to it being the weekend. The crowds were so bunched together that it was hard to move. Sora and Yolei stuck close to Professor Takenouchi and John until they finally navigated their way around the courtyard and started on the trail.

The four of them had been climbing for a half-hour and were almost to the midpoint of the trail. Leaves scattered along the cobblestone and pebbled walkways as the trees above showed off their beautiful colors. Mixing with the vermillion color of the gates, it made the area seem bathed in fall colors.

"I need to stop for a moment," Yolei said. Her feet were hurting and she needed a drink of water. The humidity pressed her clothes onto her skin and suffocated her. It may have been fall, but the humidity was not yet at a manageable level.

Professor Takenouchi looked back and nodded. "Okay. There's a rest stop just up these steps."

To their left, the view opened up to see the trail below with gates as far as the eye could see. The trail of red never seemed to end. Sora and Yolei looked around in awe and wonder. It was so peaceful here. The lavender-haired girl took a picture every two seconds with her small Sony camera.

"This shrine is almost 1,300 years old," said the professor. "Who knows what kind of legends and secrets it has that are just waiting to be told."

John laughed. "There you go again, Professor. Obsessing over whatever legend you can find."

"It's my job."

The long stretch of the path suddenly became an incline. The stairway went up the mountain like it could go straight to heaven. The four felt their calves burn with every step. To their right were gravestones and mini Torii gates, as well as some medium-sized ones serving as mini shrines at various landings.

The path wound around another pebbled walkway. A few more flights of stairs, then they finally reached the rest stop. A sign that said it was the last restroom on the trail was placed on the façade of the bathroom building. Another sign warned to beware wild boars and monkeys, as well as not to feed or approach them. Yolei didn't want to know what that was about.

"If it's alright with you girls, John and I would like to go on ahead," Professor Takenouchi said. "Sora, do you want to come with us or stay with Yolei?"

"You guys go on ahead," his daughter replied. "I'll stay with Yolei. We'll wait for you to get back."

"Okay."

The two men continued their trek up the mountain. Sora went to the water fountain to get herself a drink. Yolei rubbed her feet and calves as she plopped herself down on a bench. It had been a long and crazy day, so the trip to Fushimi Inari was the perfect chance for some peace. The Digimon from earlier faded far away from her mind.

Yolei felt something pull at the back of her mind. She craned her head around to look behind her and saw only the hill and trees. What was that she felt? Maybe she just imagined it.

The hairs on her arms rose up. The Force was calling from that direction.

"Hey, Sora," Yolei said. "Does Fushimi Inari have something to do with the Force by any chance?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. What makes you say that?"

"The Force is strong here," Yolei pointed down the way she looked. "I think there's something out there. We should go check it out."

For a second, Sora thought she should stop Yolei from doing that. There was no path that led down there, so they would just be walking in dense forest. They could get lost and not find their way back. Whatever this was, there surely would have been a path leading to it. The other side of her told her that if the Force was close, there had to be a reason for being hidden in a place like this.

She nodded, having made her mind up. "Okay. But let's be careful."

Yolei nodded. The two slipped away carefully and made absolutely sure the coast was clear before taking off into the foliage. Yolei led the way, following the aura of Force energy.

"How much further?" asked Sora after three minutes.

"Just right up ahead," Yolei replied. The Force was getting stronger by the second.

The two navigated through the thick foliage for two more minutes before finally parting one last bush. Their jaws dropped. A six-and-a-half foot tall Torii gate opened to a landing that seemed long since forgotten. Two kitsune statues guarded the entrance to a shrine, covered in grime and moss from time.

The two female Jedi stepped through the gate, feeling the Force blanket the entire area. Sora rubbed one of the kitsune statues on the top of its head. The moss was soft against her hand. This place had to be about as old as the entire shrine itself. She wiped the residue on her jeans.

Yolei entered the shrine. Her eyes drew up to a mural on the wall in front of her. The depiction was of what looked like evil spirits flying around a group of children. As she followed it along, something caught her attention that made her gasp.

"Sora, come check this out," she urged. "Quick!"

The auburn-haired Jedi was by her side in a second. They looked at the mural together. The painting progressed from the depiction of the children to them following a dragon. Demons suddenly appeared beside them, and both the children and monsters slaughtered all that stood in their way. The blood and gore was so detailed that they nearly threw up.

"What does this mean?" Yolei asked, her mouth gaped wide.

Sora pressed her lips nervously. A part of her felt like she knew the answer to that question.

"I think what this shows is a great battle where evil spirits have corrupted children and fought alongside demons to take over the world," she said. "But I'm not sure what this means for us. Maybe it's a legend of the shrine."

Yolei took her camera out of her pocket and took photos of the mural from every angle. She got close and took close-up shots of the details. Once she was done, she checked them out to make sure they were usable. She smiled, then looked back at Sora.

"We should ask your father. He'd probably know about this."

"Good idea," Sora looked around nervous. "Let's get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."

"Me too."

The two turned back and fought their way through the foliage to the rest stop. John and the professor were waiting for them. Their eyes relaxed once they set sights on the two girls.

"Sora, there you are!" her father exclaimed. "Where did you two go? You said you'd be here when we got back."

"I know. I'm sorry, Daddy," Sora bowed in apology. "But Yolei and I just found something amazing. There was this shrine and it had a mural depicting a battle where demons and children corrupted by evil spirits defeated their foes to take over the world."

The two men gasped in surprise, glee, and awe at the possibility of a hidden shrine.

"We were wondering if you've heard of something like that."

"No, I haven't," Professor Takenouchi shook his head. "Did you happen to snap some pictures?"

Yolei nodded, flashing her camera in his and John's faces. "Right here."

The two men gathered around the camera and flipped through each photo the lavender-haired girl took. Professor Takenouchi's eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning.

"This is amazing," he breathed. "Can I take the memory card and get these developed? I'll give it back as soon as I can."

"Sure," Yolei said.

"Thank you, Yolei." The professor took the card out and put it in his pocket. "Where did you girls find this shrine?"

Sora pointed to the foliage they just came out of. "Back there. If you go in there and walk for about five minutes in a straight direction, you'll see it."

John looked at Professor Takenouchi with burgeoning excitement. He wanted to go in there and see it now. The older man gave him a look that said to be patient, and the student nodded. They looked back at the girls.

"We will make sure to check it out as soon as we can. Who knows what we can learn from this lost shrine." Professor Takenouchi said. "In the meantime, ready to go back down?"

The two girls nodded, and the four walked down the way they came. Somewhere in the back of their minds, Yolei and Sora wondered if what they saw was something more than it seemed. Only time would tell.

The walk down did not feel quite as strenuous as they arrived back at the bottom of the mountain. The crowds had subsided a bit as the sun started to set in the sky.

Wait, sunset?

"Crap!" Yolei cried. "I was supposed to hook up with my class again! Oh man! I'm going to be in so much trouble!"

"Yolei! Over here!"

The girl looked over and to her surprise, her class was just coming out from the trail as well. They were huddled around the shrine in the middle of the courtyard and waving her over. Her teacher stormed over to her.

"We've been looking for you, Ms. Inoue," he said in an even, but stern, voice. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Yolei's eyes cast downward in shame. Professor Takenouchi stepped forward.

"That's my fault, sir," he said and bowed. "I'm Professor Haruhiko Takenouchi at Kyoto University. Ms. Inoue came across my daughter a while ago," he gestured to Sora, who waved, "and then found me and my assistant. She wanted to see more of the sights in Kyoto. I guess we lost track of the time. I take full responsibility for her disappearance."

Yolei's teacher's attitude changed in the blink of an eye. His stern look disappeared.

"I see," he said. "Okay, Ms. Inoue, go join everyone else. Just consider this a warning to keep better track of the time."

"Yes sir," his student replied with a bow. She looked back at the professor, his assistant, and Sora. "Well, guys, I guess this is where we say goodbye for now. See you later."

"Bye, Yolei," Sora waved Yolei goodbye as she went off to join her class. "Have fun."

"Well, looks like I had better get going," John said after a moment of silence. "Have a good night, Professor. It was a pleasure meeting you, Sora. Say hi to Joe for me."

"I will," Sora replied.

"Good night, John," the professor added. "I'll bring the car by later."

"Okay."

With one last wave, John walked to the train station just past the large Torii gate at the entrance to the shrine. It was now just father and daughter.

"Want something to eat?" the father asked.

"Yes! Let's go get some curry!" the daughter replied. "Know any good places?"

He smirked. "I know just the place."

* * *

Izzy impatiently signaled for another oolong tea as he studied the computer screen with intense concentration. Two seconds went by and it wasn't in his hand yet. He snapped his fingers sharply.

Tai rolled his eyes and reluctantly opened another bottle. This was the sixth one in less than thirty minutes. He wondered just how long Izzy could go before his bladder exploded.

"I'm surprised this doesn't mess up your stomach with how much you drink this stuff," he said, handing Izzy the bottle.

The computer genius ignored him and chugged the bottle down in less than twenty seconds. He tossed the plastic bottle to the side. Everyone had their drink of choice when they were working. Some had coffee, some had water, and some had whiskey. Izzy preferred oolong tea.

Mimi picked up the bottle and tossed it into the recycling bin she carried with her. She went around the room picking up trash, dusting around, and making Izzy's bed. It was such a force of habit whenever she came over for her to take care of everything while he was working. She quietly left the room.

Tai sighed impatiently and leaned in. "Anything yet?"

Izzy growled in anger, slamming his fist on the desk and turned to glare at the leader.

"If you ask me that one more time –" he started.

"You'll what?" Tai shot back. "Bore me with your genius talk? Just get to the point."

Izzy gave up trying to argue with Tai. It wasn't worth the effort it would take to do it. He looked back at his monitor and let out a long sigh.

"I hate to say it, but I'm stumped," he said, planting his face on the cold top of his desk. "I don't have any idea what Hackmon meant by that prophecy. If only Gennai were here to help."

"Well, he's not." Tai then grumbled, "Some Jedi of Knowledge you are."

"Shut up."

Izzy focused his attention firmly on the words typed on the Word document. They were verbatim what Hackmon had told them in the Digital World just a few hours ago.

_Only kindness will restore balance twice by destroying the snake in the garden and end a war without swords. The Darkness will try to destroy the Light, but only by purifying both ends can peace be restored. _

The words looked back at him in almost mocking fashion. He just knew they were laughing at him right in his face. '_You can't solve me! You can't solve me!' _This lit a fire in his belly. Izzy would stop at nothing to figure this out. He studied the first line again for what felt like the thousandth time.

He gasped. He saw the metaphorical apple now. "I think I may have something."

"Finally!" Tai exclaimed. They were at last getting somewhere. "What is it?"

Izzy pointed to the first sentence. "The first line, '_Only kindness will restore balance twice by destroying the snake in the garden'_ might be talking about Ken. He is the Jedi of Kindness, and this Chosen One Hackmon spoke of," he explained. "The snake in the grass must be Arukenimon and Mummymon."

"Okay. Go on."

"Ending a war without swords, though, I'm not sure what that means."

Good feelings gone. They were right back at square one. Tai wanted to tear his hair out.

"You don't think it means diplomacy, do you?" he asked. "Doesn't seem to me like either Arukenimon or Mummymon are interested in reaching a settlement with us. Unless that settlement includes our heads on a pike."

Izzy sighed in frustration. "Moving on," he groaned, pointing to the line about darkness and light. "This whole last line has me more frozen than an old hard drive." He studied the words carefully. "Who's the darkness and who's the light? And how do we purify them? I'm lost."

"You're telling me," Tai snorted. "Why do I have the feeling this is bigger than we realize?"

"Because it is." Izzy studied the line for another minute and then gave up. "Looks like I am going to need more data before I can come to a definitive conclusion."

"You've gotta be kidding me! Time is not something we have a lot of, Izzy. Who knows when Arukenimon, Mummymon, and this mysterious master of theirs will make their move on whatever it is they are planning. We have to figure this out now."

Izzy shot up out of his chair and turned his ire on his friend. After hearing this for three hours, he finally snapped.

"There's only one of me, Tai!" he shouted, being demonstrative with his arms as he continued. "If I could create an army of Izzys, I would, but I do not have that capability. The only one who can figure this out is me. I can't do that with you hovering over my neck like a vulture and asking questions every two seconds! Will you please climb off my back and give me some space?"

_Knock, knock. _

Mimi came back into the room with a tray of ohagi, making the boys stop and look at her. They had not realized she was gone. A warm feeling spread throughout Izzy's chest when he saw her. He had become so accustomed to her presence that it felt weird whenever she'd leave.

"Maybe you two should take a break," she said, settling the tray beside Izzy. "You've been at it for three hours."

That warm feeling gave way to emptiness as Mimi left the room again. Izzy's face fell slightly. Those three seconds of lucidity allowed for another feeling to scream at his brain. His bladder felt like it was going to explode, the bottom of his stomach bulging almost painfully. All of that tea was finally coming back to haunt him.

"Excuse me," he hissed, stumbling out of his bedroom towards the bathroom. He squeezed his legs to halt any pee from coming out before he reached the toilet.

Tai could not help but smirk in satisfaction. "Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so!"

* * *

TK stared down at his wrist with far-off eyes. The shooting star tattoo's edges were still tipped with black as a sign of the darkness within him. He felt so ashamed. How did he let it get this bad? The darkness gnawed at his heart with every single day that passed. If he wasn't careful, it would completely consume him.

The young blonde rubbed his wrist, hoping the blackness could be wiped away like dirt. To his dismay, the dark edges refused to go away. It was stuck in there like a scarlet letter, showing the world how his heart was falling to the temptation of darkness. He licked his fingers and wiped them over the tattoo again, scrubbing a little harder.

No change.

'_What do I have to do to get rid of this?' _TK asked himself. _'I hate this. It won't go away. Looks like there may be something else I need to conquer in my heart before I can be rid of it. I'll do whatever needs to be done.' _

Once those words echoed in his mind, TK had a hard time believing them. His head said one thing, but his heart believed another. Fear of what he would have to do almost paralyzed him. Davis' words from two weeks ago echoed in his mind.

"_Go and talk to Kari...from the HEART! Or else one day...I will! And then I really will be your problem_."

TK sighed. That was the one thing he was most frightened to do. Opening up his heart to someone else and sharing his deepest fears and insecurities terrified him. He never wanted to be vulnerable again. It was weakness. He looked out the window and stared at the view.

For a moment, TK thought he saw Kari's face on the window pane. She was smiling at him, her eyes bright with adoration. His heart skipped a beat as he looked away from the window. Maybe he should try asking her out. That would be the only way to solve this mystery in his heart. The thought of Kari with Davis made his heart rate spike and his blood boil. He didn't want to lose her.

The talk they had in the schoolyard back in May came to mind. He more or less confessed his feelings to her, and she just brushed them off. Maybe she didn't think of him in that way. His behavior since early August also may have driven her away. He wasn't surprised; he was repulsed with himself too. She would probably laugh in his face and tell him to get lost if he tried asking her out.

Davis was probably better for her, he thought. The burgundy-haired leader had the ability to make her laugh where TK could not. Davis was also not weighed down by all the baggage that he had to live with. An annoying sister like Jun was a blessing compared to a broken family. Maybe he was better off just stepping aside.

TK glanced at his wrist only for a split second, but something caught his attention. He gasped in horror. The black on his tattoo crept inward from the edges. If he didn't stop this pity party, it would completely consume it. He shook his head out and felt the thoughts wash away. The blackness halted its progress.

That's it. Tomorrow, he was going to call Kari and ask her out. He didn't care what happened. He was willing to go with the flow and see where they landed.

'_I'll test the waters and see if there's any hint she does like me,' _he told himself. '_If she does, I'll ask her. If she doesn't, then I'll work hard to make her see that I'm better than Davis.'_

* * *

Arukenimon and Mummymon returned to the real world. Alongside their master, they walked through the botanical gardens in Koto facing their master's wrath for failing their mission.

"Can I trust you two bumbling buffoons with anything?" their master hissed. "How hard can it be to take out a few Jedi?"

"We're sorry, Master," Arukenimon apologized. "If you just let us try again, we will get them."

But her master would not have it.

"No. We're altering the plan. It is time for me to reveal myself to the Jedi. With the three of us working together, even you cannot mess this up."

"What do you have in mind, Master?" Mummymon asked. "Nothing we've done has worked so far. How are we going to do this?"

A wicked smile spread up the master's face. He pulled an apple out from under his cloak and wiped it on the dark fabric.

"_Precisely_," he said, taking a bite from it. "We are going to use my vision and brains to get us over the finish line."

A low, dark chuckle filled the gardens.

* * *

**A dark plot, a new prophecy, and a legend. What is brewing in the state of Denmark? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**I actually went to Fushimi Inari when I went to Japan back in the summer, which feels like a lifetime ago honestly. I wanted to see a temple or shrine precisely for this purpose. Didn't get to see more because we went to Nara after Fushimi Inari, which I did not mind, so this one got picked. **

**Also, I managed to find a use for the "Izzy has to use the bathroom" sequence from Our War Games :-) Always loved that scene. **

**Hope you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to what is coming next. ****Be sure to leave a review and subscribe as always. I love hearing your guys' thoughts and insights when I get them. **

**Take care, all. Stay healthy and safe. The light at the end of the tunnel is coming. I promise. See you guys next week.**

**And Merry Christmas ;-) **


	35. O Holy Night

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Yup ;-) Going to be interesting to see what happens with that prophecy going forward. **

**Ackbarfan5556: That it is XD Am I? **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Go ahead. **

**Guest: We'll see. Maybe not now, but perhaps later. You never know. **

**Elgv: Thank you for the kind words. We will see what happens next ;-) Thank you for the favorite too. Much appreciated. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: There will not be a world tour, Greymon. I thought I said that to you guys at the beginning. The stuff with TK will happen over the next two chapters or so, not here. We will see where things go with your last suggestion. Thanks as always for your insight. Always look forward to reading your reviews.**

* * *

**Welcome back, all, and Merry Christmas...in April. What do you know, it's the 25th XD What are the odds of that. Yes, this is the long-awaited Christmas chapter. I'm doing some things in this chapter differently than in the episode, aside from just that infamous scene. I'm sure you all will enjoy it. This is the chapter that most of you I'm sure have been waiting for, as have I. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Venus Fort glowed brightly from the lights on the fifteen-foot tall Christmas tree in the middle of the square. Holly and ornaments were strung and hung up everywhere on the tree until it finally culminated in the glowing star on top. Anxious holiday shoppers rushed about to get last minute gifts, not taking time to appreciate the sight. On to the next store to get the last thing. Hurry up or else it will be gone! Thoughts of a disappointed child on Christmas urged the shoppers on. All to the soundtrack of Christmas music playing on the loudspeakers above.

Christmas Eve had arrived in what felt like the blink of an eye. The holiday spirit was in full effect. The year had been a great one for many people, but they were anxious to see what the next year brought them. Hopefully more good fortune, no monster attacks like from three years ago, and a long and healthy reign for the emperor.

In the Digital World, the younger Destined Jedi finished their patrol for the day. Just in time for them to go back and be with their families for the rest of the day. All was quiet and peaceful in the Digital World today. It looked like it would be a quiet, peaceful Christmas with no problems.

But there was a problem. A different kind of problem.

Ken watched his fellow Jedi joke around and laugh. It made him feel warm inside to be surrounded by such good people. His hand went to his pocket to pull something out. Green envelopes decorated with yellow bell stickers on the seal. He clutched them nervously.

'_Will they want to come to my party?' _he asked himself.

His eyes examined each Jedi and weighed the possibilities of a 'yes'. Davis probably would not hesitate to say he would go. TK and Kari might agree to go too, but he was still a little unsure. Yolei was still a bit of a mystery to him: Over the last two months, he felt like he was starting to get a little closer to her, but there always seemed to be something holding her back.

Finally, his eyes rested on Cody. He was the one Ken was most hesitant to ask. There was still plenty of mistrust coming from the youngest Destined Jedi. Ken was never sure how Cody felt about him from one moment to the next. The boy hardly ever showed his emotions around him, so it was hard to get a readout. Taking a breath, Ken decided to take a chance.

"Hey, guys," he said, stepping towards them. His hand shook as he showed the invitations. The nervousness and anxiety inside threatened to silence him, but he fought back. "I'm having a Christmas party tonight and was wondering if you'd like to come."

Davis smiled and took an invitation. "Yeah, dude. I'm there."

TK and Kari nodded, taking one for each of them as well.

"We'll be there," said Kari.

"You bet," TK smiled. "Matt's show will still go on without me. He'd understand."

That's right, Ken remembered. Matt was having a big concert on the promenade just outside Venus Fort. He even worked out a deal with his father to have it broadcasted live on Fuji TV, so there was a lot of pressure. Matt spent endless hours rehearsing with his band for the last month and a half to be ready.

"Thanks, TK," Ken smiled. He extended an envelope to Yolei. A blush spread across his face. "Yolei?"

The girl looked at the invitation, unsure of what to say. As she got to know Ken more over the last while, she honestly had mixed feelings about him. He had proven himself to her more times already than she could count. There was still a part of her, however, that probably would not forgive him for kidnapping her and almost killing Sora. Then she remembered Ken was not the same person then as he was now. With that thought, she nodded and accepted.

"Sure," she said. "I'll come."

Ken smiled at her, and then turned his sights on the one person he dreaded to hear from the most: Cody. The young boy's sharp green eyes stared at him with a neutral expression. Ken could not tell what he was thinking. Maybe he still had not come around to him yet. He had to try though.

Cody's heart leapt into his throat as Ken walked towards him. The nervous tension bulged so much that it could be popped like a pimple. Well, here it goes.

"Would you like to come too, Cody?" the raven-haired boy extended the invitation. His arm shook. "I'd like it if you were there."

Cody eyed the invitation with curiosity, then looked up at Ken's face. The Jedi of Kindness flashed a nervous smile and an equally nervous chuckle. The other Jedi watched with trepid looks on their faces, unsure of what would happen.

Cody took the invitation. "I'd love to," he said with a bow of his head. He then smiled. "Thank you for inviting me. I appreciate it, Ken."

A collective sigh of relief went through the field. Ken's smile became more genuine and confident. He was relieved to see Cody was starting to accept him.

This was going to be the best Christmas ever.

* * *

At Decks in Odaiba, a man cut through his slice of cake with the side of his fork. Instead of taking the piece and popping it into his mouth, the man continued cutting through the slice. It made a rhythmic tapping sound, like he was anxious for someone to arrive. Other people nearby gave him annoyed glares, but he paid them no attention.

The man's dark, black eyes were focused and narrowed on a woman that was a few yards ahead talking to another man. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he didn't find it worthy of finding out. The woman took something from the man and he went off on his way. She wished him a Merry Christmas before going her own way.

The dark figure slurped up his smoothie in one gulp and stood up to cut her off.

"Ms. Takaishi," he said in his hushed, serpentine voice. "How wonderful to see you on this lovely Christmas Eve. It has been a long time. I'm not sure you even remember me."

The blonde woman was startled by the man's appearance. He towered over her with his long, thin frame. A purple trench coat wrapped around him like a glove, making him look bigger than he probably was. Underneath the coat was a red button-up shirt and black tie, making him look like a phantom. He had a pale, gaunt face, a hooked nose, and a veil of long black hair that fell almost to his sternum.

"Yukio Oikawa, is it?" Ms. Takaishi said.

The man nodded. "Yes," he hissed like a snake, sending chills down her spine.

"I do remember you. You investigated the incident in Hikarigaoka seven years ago. I helped you with gathering testimony from local residents. After that, I never saw you again. What brings you here?"

"There have been…_interesting _new developments lately," said Oikawa with an evil twinkle in his eye. "Back in August, I looked at what happened at the Fuji TV station when the lightning struck it. Then there was poor Ken Ichijouji being lost and found. I have a feeling that more is on the way."

Ms. Takaishi shivered. More? Was there something TK neglected to tell her? What was this man talking about?

"You seem confused," Oikawa noticed. Then he changed his tune. "Say, how has your son been? The younger one. What was his name again?" The man feigned thinking for a moment before finishing, "Takeru?"

"Yes," Ms. Takaishi did not like where this was going. "He's fine. What about TK?"

Oikawa shrugged. "Oh, nothing. It's just been such a long time since I've seen him." He then smirked. "I'd keep a closer eye on him going forward if I were you. Preteens like that, you never know what they may _step _into."

The woman eyed the gangly man with suspicion. What did he mean by that? She did not like the tone with which he said it. It made even more shivers shoot down her spine.

Oikawa smiled a genuine smile this time and bowed his head. "Excuse me. I have something that I'm late for. Enjoy the holidays, Ms. Takaishi. A Merry Christmas to you."

He walked past her with nary a word. Ms. Takaishi turned back around to ask him some more questions, but to her surprise, he was gone. Vanished. Like he was never there in the first place. This was getting stranger by the minute.

A young man with black hair wearing a leather jacket over a pale gold shirt with a blue star on it sat two tables down. He also found these events unsettling. A small headset was hooked on his right ear as he jotted down notes on a reporter's notebook. Under the table was a radar transmitter allowing him to listen in to the conversation.

As Ms. Takaishi walked by his table, he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Everything okay there, ma'am?" he asked, stretching out a business card for her.

The woman looked at the name on the card. Daigo Nishijima, it said, along with his contact information. She refused it with a wave, and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you. Merry Christmas."

The young man looked worried as he sucked in his top lip, but gave her a smile. "Merry Christmas to you too."

He pocketed his card.

* * *

Matt shut his door behind him and locked it. He had offered to walk Ken home after their meditation session, which worked out okay because he didn't have to be at sound check until an hour later. His young protégé was improving leaps and bounds since they started their time together, and Matt was extremely proud of his progress.

He turned around to look at Ken with a smile. "I'll walk you home. Good work today."

"Thanks," Ken smiled back.

Matt adjusted the strap of his bass case on his shoulder and checked his pockets. His hand touched a jewelry box in his left pocket. He smiled to himself. Everything was here and accounted for. It was a gift he would give later to a special someone.

Without another word, the two of them set off for Odaiba-kaihinkoen station, which was just three blocks away from Matt and his father's apartment. Rumiko now lived with them after she and Mr. Ishida became engaged. It was not that big of an adjustment for Matt. It was nice to have a woman in the house for a change. Sure made the apartment smell a lot nicer.

"Ready for the show tonight?" Ken asked as they walked side by side. "I heard it's going to be crazy."

"Hell yeah I'm ready!" Matt exclaimed with a sly grin. "This is going to be our best one yet and end the year with a bang." He looked at Ken. "Hey, were you able to get a ticket to the show?"

"I wasn't, but I wasn't going anyway. I'm having a party tonight. Just a get-together with all the younger Jedi. Everyone else was going to your show."

Matt shrugged and playfully slugged Ken on the shoulder. "Better go to my next one then. Not like I'm your friend or anything."

Ken laughed. "It's a deal."

The two entered the station and made their train. They rode the Yurikamome Line up to Shimbashi and then transferred over to the Yamanote Line to go to Tamachi. It took two stops to reach Tamachi station.

"Well, here we are," said Ken as they exited the train.

"Sweet. Lead the way," Matt replied.

Ken nodded and started walking up the stairs to the main concourse. The station was not that crowded due to it being Christmas Eve and everyone either staying at home or just not traveling long distances. It took the two Jedi three minutes to get out of the station. They turned to their right and started their walk to Ken's apartment building.

"Are you doing anything special after the show?"

Matt's face turned a light pink. He scratched the back of his neck with one hand, and reached into his pocket with the other. He fingered the gift in his pocket.

"No," he said, then changed his mind. "Well, maybe…" Hold on. Not a good idea. Matt then changed the subject entirely. "Hey, earlier you said the others were coming. Do you know for sure they are? Joe doesn't always follow through when he says he'll be somewhere."

"They told me they were all going when I asked them to come to my party," Ken replied. "Don't worry. They'll all be there." Ken would have left it at that, but he could almost smell Matt's nervousness. He stared right at the blonde. "What's up, Matt?"

The teenager shrugged it off, trying to avoid Ken's gaze. "Eh, forget about it. It's nothing."

Ken continued staring at him.

"What? I like it when my friends are there. With all the fangirls, Jun being chief among them, seeing my friends gives me comfort."

The two didn't speak for two blocks. There was still less than a quarter-mile left to go until they reached Ken's apartment. Ken studied his master's face and found some pretty interesting things there. He smirked and looked down at the hand in his pocket.

"What's in there?" he asked.

Matt blushed. "Nothing important."

"Come on. What is it?"

"A Christmas gift."

"For whom?"

"None of your beeswax." Matt put an arm around Ken's shoulder before pulling in and wrapping around his neck. He pressed his knuckles into Ken's skull with a devious smirk. "That's what."

Ken laughed and pushed Matt off of him, rubbing his scalp. If only Sam had been more like Matt, then maybe things would have worked out better. But that was in the past, and there was nothing Ken could do about it.

"You sure everything's alright, Matt?" he asked. "Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for someone are strong."

"What the hell are you talking about?" the blonde replied.

"That girl you're thinking about."

Matt's face drained of any color as he halted in his tracks. How did Ken figure that one out? Did he know who the gift was for? He didn't know what to think at that moment. It was embarrassing to let his guard down and expose his feelings.

"Did you just read my mind?" he asked breathlessly.

Ken shook his head. "Don't need to," a smirk rose up his face. "Your feelings for the girl you're thinking about are connected to that Christmas gift."

Matt huffed. Perfect, he thought with an eye roll. His legs resumed their stride over the concrete sidewalk below them. Ken caught up after two steps.

"Are you wanting to ask her out?" Ken continued.

The blonde shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know how she'll take it. Maybe I won't."

"Just ask her out. I'm sure she'd say yes if you only asked. It's not that complicated."

"Not that complicated. Right." Matt said with a scoff. "It's easy to say that at your age. When you're older, things change," he sighed. "I can't do it."

"Come on! You're Matt!" Ken encouraged. "You can do anything."

"Sure, kid. As a Jedi, you're damn straight. As Matt Ishida, middle school rock star, I don't know."

"Who's to say they can't be one in the same?" Ken looked up. They had arrived at his apartment building. He and Matt had been so wrapped up in their conversation that they almost missed it. "Well, here we are. Want to come upstairs?"

Matt nodded. "Sure."

Ken opened the door, bidding the doorman a good day, and led Matt to the elevator on the other side of the lobby. It took a minute for the elevator to arrive. They stepped inside and took it up to the third floor. The elevator let out a _ding! _once it reached its destination.

Matt and Ken stepped through the doors and out onto the exposed walkway towards Ken's apartment.

"You're the coolest guy ever, Matt," the younger Jedi said. "There's nothing you can't do if you just put your mind to it."

Matt chuckled. "I'm confused here," he said. "Am I the master or the Padawan? I can't tell by the way you're talking to me."

Ken laughed with him. "As the song says, you teach me and I'll teach you."

They now stood in front of his apartment. Ken dug through his pocket for his keys, finding it instantly. He went up to the door to put the key in. The door smacked him on the forehead when he got close. His hand shot up to rub the sore spot.

Mrs. Ichijouji stood in the open doorway and saw what happened. She carried a bag around her arm.

"Ooh!" she exclaimed. "Ken, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were coming home so soon."

Ken did his best to grin and bear it as she checked him over. He knew his mother didn't mean to do it.

"That's okay, Mom." He looked at the bag on her arm. "Going to work?"

His mother nodded. "Just for a little while," she said before placing her eyes on the other boy with him. She had to admit he was fairly handsome. "Who's this?"

Matt bowed in greeting before Ken could say anything. "Hello, Mrs. Ichijouji," he said politely. "I'm Ken's friend, Matt Ishida. It's nice to meet you."

The woman suddenly became emotional. This was the first time Ken had brought a friend home with him. After so long, Ken finally seemed like he had found friends that accepted him for who he was. There was no better feeling for a mother. Even so, she tried to control herself.

"Nice to meet you too, Matt," she sniffled happily. "Ken talks so much about you that I feel like I know everything about you. Were you going to stay for a while? I can make some tea really quick."

"Thank you, but I can't stay," Matt declined respectfully.

"Matt has a gig tonight in Odaiba. He was just dropping me off at home before going there." Ken explained.

Mrs. Ichijouji nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, just know you are welcome here at any time, Matt."

"Thank you."

"I have to go now," the woman stepped past the two boys and walked down the hall. "I'll see you later, Ken. Merry Christmas, Matt."

"Merry Christmas," Matt reciprocated, giving her a wave as Mrs. Ichijouji headed to the elevator.

"Bye, Mom," said Ken. He turned back to Matt and smiled. "Thanks for walking me home. You didn't have to come all the way out here."

"No sweat. Besides," the blonde smacked a hand against Ken's shoulder, "I felt you needed a friend on the walk home. What happened between us is in the past." He smiled. "You're my friend now, right?"

The Jedi of Kindness nodded. "Right." He walked into the apartment and took off his shoes. Before he closed the door, he turned to Matt one last time and said, "Ask her out, Matt. Get to her before someone else does. You'll regret it forever if you don't."

The Jedi of Friendship stiffened. That's exactly what he was afraid of. He tried to smile with confidence, but the smile came out uneasy and unconfident.

"I'll do it. Thanks, Ken."

"You're welcome." Ken nodded. "I'll see you later. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Matt returned as the door closed.

He stood there a little bit longer. It felt like he had just signed his own death warrant for some reason. Why was that? He was only planning to finally ask Sora Takenouchi to go out with him after so long. With a shaky breath, he walked back to the elevator. Multiple versions of what he would say to her ran through his head. By the time Matt decided on one, he stood just outside Tamachi station.

The blonde took a deep breath and decided it was the time to take the plunge. His body shook with nervous excitement as he walked into the station.

* * *

Sora sucked in a breath as she stood outside the trailer where the band had set up shop. The cold wind blew against her sky blue coat, tossing around the ends of her pink scarf and her auburn hair. Turquoise gloves kept her hands warm as she clutched a square box covered in green wrapping paper and tied with a red ribbon.

Inside, one of Matt's band mates peeked out the window and saw someone standing outside the door.

"Yo, Matt!" he cried. "There's a girl out there standing around like she's waiting for one of us. You know her?"

The blonde put his Fender bass down and looked out the window. It was Sora. Blush spread across his face.

"Yeah," Matt said. "Give me a few, guys. I'll be back."

He brushed his bangs to the side with his hands to try and look more presentable. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open to step out and greet the Jedi of Love. A warm smile spread across his face.

"Hi. What brings you here?" he asked.

Sora's eyes ducked down for a second before looking back up at him with a small smile. "Hi Matt," she greeted.

"The show's about the start. You should find a seat."

"I just wanted to drop this off for you." Sora stretched out the gift to him with both hands. "A little thing for all of you before the big show."

Matt's smile widened at the gift. It was so thoughtful of her to do this for him. Maybe there was something inside of her that liked him that way. His body tingled with nervousness as he accepted the green and red box.

"Thanks," he said before carefully unwrapping the present. The smell of fresh-baked cookies shot up his nose, making his mouth water. Inside were homemade chocolate chip cookies that still steamed like they came fresh out of the oven.

Matt smirked. "No, I don't think I will share these," he joked. "They smell too good."

"I order you to share them, Matt," Sora chuckled. "You don't want to get fat."

"Yes, ma'am. Have to keep the figure for the ladies."

"I'd still be here for you even if you were fat and heavy."

Matt snorted nervously. He felt compelled to give Sora her gift. For a moment, he thought it was better to just forget the whole thing. Once he gave it to her, there was no getting out of this. This moment was going to change his life, for better or for worse.

He looked at the door behind him. The moment was right. He was going to do it. No matter what happened, he was going to take the chance because Sora was worth it. With his mind made up, he smiled.

"Be right back," he said, opening the door and shutting it behind him.

Matt put the box of cookies on the table and went to his bag. The other band members gathered around. The instant the smell hit their noses, they instantly reached out for a cookie.

"She gave you cookies?" the keyboardist said. He took a bite and instantly felt like he had gone to heaven. "Bro, these are so good!"

Matt darted over and smacked the morsel out of his hand. The gift was tucked away in his pocket.

"Hey! Those are mine!" he growled. "Don't eat them."

"But –" the guitarist protested, but Matt cut him off.

"They are _mine!" _

The other three members backed away with shrugs. They returned to their respective instruments to tune up and get ready for the show. They were going on in an hour.

Matt adjusted his clothes and put his hair back in place before opening the door. Sora stood right where she was a moment ago. He took a deep breath. This was really happening.

"Thanks for waiting," he said. "I have your Christmas gift with me. I was planning on waiting until after the show to give it to you, but I think now is the perfect time." Taking one last breath, Matt pulled the gift out of his pocket and presented it to her. "It's not much, but I hope you like it."

Sora smiled with great appreciation. "Thank you, Matt. I'm sure I will."

She took the case and opened it. What she saw inside made her eyes sparkle with joy. A necklace with a pendant in the shape of her tattoo hanging off the silver chain. Sora could hardly believe her eyes as a wide smile shot up her face.

"Matt…" she choked, her breath taken away. "It's beautiful. This was so thoughtful. Thank you."

A wash of relief fell over Matt. That was not so hard. Feeling a little more daring, he took a step forward and asked, "Can I put it on?"

Sora nodded with excitement and gave him back the necklace. She turned around and took off her scarf, exposing the back of her neck to him. Matt's hands trembled as they wrapped around the front of her neck and placed the necklace around it.

"There."

Sora looked down and admired the heart for a second before turning to face him.

"How does it look?" she asked with a beaming smile.

Matt's face turned a deep shade of pink. "It's perfect," he choked. Now was the moment he had been dreading for a long time. With his newfound courage, he decided to take the risk.

"Hey, so I was wondering about something."

"Yeah?"

Matt pushed the anxiety in his chest down before taking a breath. His nerves calmed a little. He reached out to touch the heart on her necklace, letting his fingers rest against the cold metal.

"Do you want to do something after the concert?" he asked, moving that hand up to rest on her cheek. "Just the two of us?"

His heart threatened to burst out of his chest at the rate it was beating. This was the moment. Would she say yes? He hoped so.

Sora was slightly caught off guard by his words. She was confused. If he wanted to do something with her, why did he have to act all nervous like he was…She blushed. _Matt was asking her out_! The Jedi of Love sighed. Even though Matt's offer was tempting, she was already with someone. It hurt her to have to shatter Matt's heart, but she had to do it.

"Sorry, Matt," she grimaced. "Tai and I already have plans for later."

Matt stiffened. He quickly backed away, taking the hand off her cheek. He cursed himself for not thinking she had other plans already.

"O-Of course," he said discombobulated. Maybe she didn't get what he meant. "I should have known. One of those best friend things, huh? Maybe some other time?"

Before Sora could answer, an excited voice shot out to greet them.

"Hey, guys!"

The two turned and saw Tai walking up to them. He wore a long blue trench coat with what looked like large yellow paw prints on the back. His eyes were fixed completely on Sora with a look that Matt had trouble describing. As the big-haired leader got close, he wrapped an arm around Sora in what Matt thought was a protective manner. Perhaps he was seeing things.

Tai eyed the new necklace around Sora's neck with a quizzed expression, then held it as he faced Matt.

"Wow! Love the necklace, Sora!" he exclaimed, not once taking his eyes off of Matt. "Where'd you get it?"

The auburn-haired girl giggled. "Matt gave it to me. Isn't it pretty?"

"Yeah. Totally!" Tai broke eye contact with Matt to address Sora.

The two of them turned back to look at the blonde Jedi. Tai tightened the embrace and Sora moved closer to his side.

"Hey, Matt," he greeted. His voice sounded strained as he glanced at the necklace again, then locked eyes with Matt. The next sentence had a hint of coldness hidden behind a smile. "Ready for the show?"

Matt looked between them, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The almost-protective look on Tai's face, the way Sora looked at him with happiness and joy. A lightning bolt struck him from above. He was too late. His worst nightmare had come true. Sora was already taken. By Tai! He couldn't speak.

Finally, he managed to sputter out one word. "Y-Yeah." Matt did his best to not cry, but it was hard to do. He choked back tears and willed himself to ask while trying to sound cool, "How long?"

"How long what?" Tai asked in the same manner as before.

"How long have you two been together?" Matt chewed on his bottom lip to stop the trembling.

"Three months." A relaxed smile emerged from Tai as if he was thinking back to when she said yes.

"Three months?" Matt's heart cracked in two. That long? Suddenly, he felt like a complete chump. Because he couldn't act on it, he had already lost Sora before he could even try. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Sora answered that question. "Because we wanted to spend time together without you guys knowing."

Matt's eyes cast downward. "I see." He smiled at them to mask everything. "Congrats, you guys. I support you two." He instantly felt the urge to leave. To go up on stage and feel the love of the crowd. Anything to distract him from the heartache he was feeling. "Well, I have to go up on stage. I hope someone saved you guys seats."

"We'll be alright. Thanks, dude." Tai assured, giving Matt his famous goofy grin and squeezing Sora tighter. "Good luck. We'll be cheering for ya."

"Good luck, Matt. You're going to be great," Sora echoed with a smile. Her fingers touched the necklace. "Thanks for the necklace. Hope your band mates enjoy the cookies."

"Thanks. Enjoy the show." Matt walked back through the door and shut it.

Tai gasped. "You made him cookies?" he cried. "Why didn't I get any?"

Sora swatted him on the shoulder. "Don't you worry, Tai," she said with a smile. "I've got a special surprise for you later."

Inside the trailer, Matt stormed past his band mates and picked up his bass to go to the other side of the room.

"Hey, you guys can have those cookies," he grumbled. "I don't want them."

The other three males gasped in shock.

"You sure, Matt?" the guitarist asked.

"She turned you down?" the keyboardist added.

Matt shot death glares at them. "Shut it!"

The door suddenly slammed open, almost knocked off its hinges. At the threshold stood a very frantic and determined Jun Motomiya. She wore a lime green jacket and carried pink pom-poms. Her eyes went straight to the blonde bass player.

"MATT!" she screamed, darting right for him.

Matt's face paled and took off running as fast as his legs could carry him.

"CRAP! SHE FOUND ME!" he yelled, hoping to lose Jun as fast as he could, but she did not let that happen. Jun hung with him step for step.

"RAHHHHHHH! MY LOVE WILL NOT BE DENIED!"

"SECURITY!"

* * *

The guests showed up around six o'clock. All of them arrived together rather than separately. It nearly overwhelmed Ken that he was having this many people over already. His mother was even more overwhelmed. She had no idea Ken had made this many friends already. It made her cry out of pure happiness.

Right now, Ken was giving the other children a tour of the apartment. They went into his bedroom. Yolei noticed a picture on the desk. It was of a boy around the same age as Ken, but he had much thicker hair and glasses.

"Who's that, Ken?" she asked.

The raven-haired boy glanced over at her. His blood ran cold when he saw the photograph. Anxiety and guilt instantly shot into his throat, his eyes cast down.

"That's my brother," he said in a soft voice, trying to keep the guilt from overwhelming him. "This was the very room where I lost control and killed him." He pointed to where Cody stood near the door. "That's where I stood," then pointed to a spot near Yolei, "and that's where he was. He stumbled out through the doors and fell over the balcony." He sniffled. "I didn't mean to kill him. I just…I was so angry with him that it all suddenly came out."

Davis wrapped an arm on Ken's shoulder, hoping to quell the emotions that threatened to spill out from him. When Ken looked at him, he flashed a kind smile.

"Hey, it was an accident," the leader said warmly. "We know you didn't mean to do it. I'm sure he doesn't hate you for what happened."

"How do you know?"

"I just know, okay? Come on. Let's get this party going."

* * *

The crowd exploded in delirious delight as the band came out on stage. Matt took his place up front at the microphone and adjusted his bass strap. He found Tai and Sora sitting a little more toward the middle in the temporary bleachers that were set up for the show. Mimi, Joe, and Izzy were there too. He smiled. Everyone had come to see him like Ken said.

His face fell when he looked to his left and saw Jun jumping up and down and screaming at the top of her lungs. He hoped the security was extra tight near the stage to keep what happened in the dressing rom from happening again. With her was Yolei's oldest sister Momoe.

"Good evening," he said softly into the microphone. "Merry Christmas, everyone." He then spoke more confidently. "We're on TV, so I want you all to smile. Let's get this party started with a number from Fleetwood Mac. It's called 'Second Hand News'."

The guitarist started by playing the opening E chord repeatedly. The drums came in a few bars later, signaling to Matt it was time to start singing.

"_**I know there's nothing to say**_." He looked straight at Tai and Sora. "_**Someone has taken my place. When times go bad, when times go rough, won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff?**_"

Sora had a bad feeling about the choice of this song specifically as it moved through the second verse and into the chorus. It felt like Matt was trying to get out the feelings from when she turned him down, but in a way that was not obvious. It was to her though. She squeezed Tai's hand.

"I LOVE YOU, MATT!" Jun screamed nearby. The people surrounding her shot dirty looks her way. Even Momoe looked like she wanted to scoot away. Jun paid them no mind though as she shook her pom-poms. "MARRY ME PLEASE!"

Joe glared at the older girl across the way and rolled his eyes. '_That girl,' _he thought.

Matt did his best to ignore the buoyant, loud girl as he focused on the lyrics. He plucked his bass as he moved into the ending part.

"_**I'm just second hand news. I'm just second hand news. Yeah.**_"

The crowd exploded into raucous cheers as the band finished the first song. Matt instantly started counting off into the next song. The guitarist played a funky riff, throwing his head forward as he put his whole body into the riff. The rest of the band joined in a few seconds later.

"_**Can't stop. Addicted to the shindig. Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big,**_" Matt sang in a more broken-up, hip-hop style. "_**Choose not a life of imitation. Distant cousin to the reservation.**_"

Outside the concert hall, Arukenimon and Mummymon listened to the music pumping out from the promenade at Venus Fort. They smirked. The moment had now arrived to execute the plan.

Arukenimon spoke into a walkie-talkie. "Master, we're ready. The gate shall be opened on your command."

Two seconds passed before a reply came.

"_Proceed._"

The two Digimon's smirks widened. Now was the fun part.

"Yes, Master."

Arukenimon chanted a spell. As she did, a crack appeared in the air. Mummymon watched with wide, excited eyes as it grew. The woman's chanting grew louder in tone and intensity until the portal fully opened.

A black Tyrannosaurus Digimon stepped out and let out a roar. Many other Digimon followed closely behind it. The dinosaur set its eyes on the circus-style tent ahead and charged with another roar.

"Go make chaos," Arukenimon ordered.

Back inside the tent, the band kept playing the song and were about to wrap it up. Without warning, feedback came bursting out of the speakers. No guitar chords or vocals were heard. The band and the crowd were united in their confusion.

"Something's wrong," Sora said.

"Was this supposed to happen?" Mimi echoed.

"Maybe the sound people made a mistake," Izzy replied. "Hopefully they get it fixed."

Tai kept his eyes on the singer and bass player. "They better fix it up soon or else Matt's going to blow his top."

Matt was ready to strangle someone. This was supposed to be his big night and some incompetent sound engineer was ruining it. The urge to make like Axl Rose and storm off the stage was strong. He didn't care if it made him look bad. He was absolutely furious.

But before he could make a single move, a loud bellow echoed through the entire tent. Everyone's hands shot to their ears. The tent parted behind the band and a large, black Tyrannosaurus Rex-like creature burst through and let out another long roar. People screamed, darting right for the exits.

Tai and his friends soon overcame their initial shock and grabbed the sabers on their waists. Blue, green, and purple blades hummed after shooting out from their casings. Bakemon swarmed inside the concert hall like locusts.

"Oh, I hate Bakemon," Tai growled. "Destined Jedi…_Attack_!" he ordered in as loud a voice he could for the others to hear.

The four other Destined Jedi did not hesitate, leaping into action behind their leader. Jun and Momoe stood paralyzed in fear. Memories from three years ago came flooding back to them. This could not be happening again!

Momoe was the first to act. "Jun, come on!" she cried. "Let's get out of here!"

But the other girl remained frozen. Momoe pulled her arm towards the exit until Jun finally snapped out of her shock and ran with her friend. Anywhere was better than staying here.

Up on stage, Matt threw his bass down and activated his green lightsaber while his band mates fled. He took his frustrations out on two Bakemon, vaporizing them instantly.

"You ruin my concert, I ruin you!" he growled, his lightsaber a blur as he slashed through so many of the ghosts.

A long shadow cast over him. Matt looked up and gulped at the sight of the dinosaur. It gazed at him with hunger and bloodlust before snapping its head down. Matt jumped out of the way as its snout buried into the stage. The creature thrashed around in desperation to free its mouth. The blonde took the opportunity and slashed the top of its snout.

A roar of pain filled the concert hall as the dinosaur freed itself from the stage. A large hole remained from where its snout fell through. The creature used one of its clawed appendages to swipe Matt away. He went flying into the charging group of Jedi like a bowling ball hitting all ten pins for a strike.

"What is he doing here?" the blonde demanded as he recovered from the attack.

Tai pointed his lightsaber towards the beast to tell it to stay back. The others copied him, shaking in their boots as they desperately tried to figure out what to do.

"I don't know, but we need a new plan," the leader said. Then he shouted, "Fall back!"

No one did anything. They all stood and marveled at the size of the creature as it skulked up to them with hungry eyes.

"FALL BACK!" Tai roared, snapping everyone out of their awe.

All six Jedi ran towards the exit like everyone else. When they got outside, the chaos was worse than they could have imagined. A Snimon and a Kuwagamon dove down from the sky to terrorize civilians down below. Gizamon emerged from the shores of the river and chased after a group of people.

"This is bad." Joe said what was on everyone's mind. "What do we do?"

Tai took his headset out of his pocket and put it in his ear. "Time to call in some backup." He pressed the 'talk' button the receiver and shouted, "Kari? Hello? Come in!"

* * *

"Got any threes?"

"NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!" Yolei shouted, tired of having been asked the same dumb question every single time. In her anger, she still kept her cards hidden.

Davis sweatdropped. "Just say 'Go fish'. Geez."

Yolei calmed down a little and drew a card from the deck. The group had been playing a round of go-fish. They had already gone through three rounds already, but Yolei was still slow to catch up on using the phrase.

"Man!" she groaned. "I'm never going to get the hang of this."

The group of children laughed. Ken giggled along with them. He couldn't help himself as he let out a full-throated laugh. Everyone stopped laughing and looked at him in shock.

"What?" he asked, his face blushing with embarrassment.

"What a nice laugh you have, Ken," Kari smiled. "You should do it more often."

Ken gave a soft smile and lightly nodded. "I'll try."

The game continued for a few moments before the sound of someone shouting filled the room.

"_KARI! ANSWER ME_!"

That was Tai's voice. The Jedi of Light's face flushed and reached into her pocket. The sound was coming from her headset. With an apologetic nod of her head, she put it in.

"Kari here," she answered.

"_FINALLY_!" Tai shouted in irritation. "_Kari, we need your guys' help down here. Digimon are in the real world! They crashed Matt's concert. There's too many of them. We need you guys to get down here and help now!" _

Kari's blood ran cold. Digimon were now in the real world again? How could that be?

"Tai, we're –" she started to say, but was cut off.

"_NOW GODDAMN IT! NOW! OR SO HELP ME, I WILL TORCH YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS!" _Tai roared.

That seemed to get Kari's butt in gear.

"Okay! We're coming!" she shouted back. "You better not touch anything that's mine." Kari took off her headset.

The other Jedi jumped at her shout, wondering what was up. Then they felt it. There was trouble brewing over in Odaiba.

"You guys feel that too?" Kari asked.

Everyone nodded.

"We have to go. Tai said that Digimon are in Odaiba."

The group wasted no time putting their cards down. It looked like the party was going to have to be cut short.

"Let's go kick some butt," Davis smirked as he opened a portal.

The Jedi did not hesitate and jumped into the portal one at a time.

* * *

"This way! Keep moving!" Tai yelled, trying not to get caught up in the stampede. He ushered people along to get them away from Venus Fort. Joe and Mimi helped him get people to safety. Matt, Izzy, and Sora were on the frontlines keeping the group of Digimon busy.

Sora swiped her saber at Snimon as it dove for her. The blade cut through one of its scythe-like arms. The mantis Digimon shrieked in pain as it stumbled to keep flight. Its injuries proved too great and weighed it down to the ground in front of Tai. The leader wasted no time and plunged his saber into its back, vaporizing the creature.

"One down," he muttered.

A cry up ahead caught his attention. Tai looked on in horror as Kuwagamon rammed into Sora and threw her back about ten feet. She landed hard on her back.

"Sora!" he cried. His feet took him to her on instinct, his job far from his mind. Where was everyone else, he wondered. Would they even show up? For now, he pushed the thought away as he focused on making sure his girlfriend was okay.

Matt and Izzy looked from the black Tyrannosaur to Kuwagamon as it circled around for another pass. They were in deep trouble. Unless the younger kids got here quickly, there was no way they would protect everyone and themselves.

The sound of five lightsabers activating filled the air.

Their prayers were answered.

"Guys, we're here!" Davis cried as he and the other five Jedi joined the battle. Ken went to help Joe and Mimi get more people to safety while Davis and the others rushed in to fight.

"It's about time, Davis!" Matt yelled, swiping his saber in front to keep the dinosaur back. "Not like we need any help!" He looked at Izzy. "Izzy, you take Cody and Yolei. Work on Kuwagamon."

"Got it." Izzy replied, signaling the two kids to follow him. Before they took their positions, two loud, female screams shot into the air.

Davis and Yolei turned in horror to see a pack of Gizamon surrounding their sisters. Momoe and Jun clutched each other tightly, thinking this would be the end. The furred amphibian Digimon eyed them hungrily as they prepared to go in and attack.

As much as Davis wanted to leave Jun to be eaten by the Gizamon, she was still his sister. He would probably never forgive himself if something happened to her. He and Yolei looked at each other and nodded. They had the same plan in mind.

The Gizamon got tired of waiting and a few pounced at the succulent, tasty-looking teenage girls. Momoe and Jun buried their faces into each other's necks, thinking this would be the end.

A dying scream was followed by the sound of vaporization. Many more sounds like that, along with laser slicing through the air and meeting flesh followed.

The two teenage girls couldn't believe it. They were still alive. They looked up to see what had happened. Two figures stood in front of them in a protective manner. The creatures were gone.

"Davis?" Jun gasped with wide eyes.

"Yolei?" said Momoe.

The burgundy-haired leader turned around and gave his sister a confident smile. "That could have been messy," he joked.

"You guys okay?" Yolei followed up.

Their teenage sisters nodded slowly, their eyes drawn to the bright colors of their younger siblings' lightsabers. This was so unbelievable for them. Their siblings were one of those kids with lightsabers?

"Good. Get somewhere safe." Davis instructed them.

"But, Davis –" Jun protested.

"We'll take care of this, Jun. Don't worry."

"He's right," Yolei added. "We're the Destined Jedi. It's what we do."

"Destined what?" Jun still had more questions, but Momoe cut her off this time.

"We should do what they say," she insisted. "Let's get out of here."

Reluctantly, Jun relented and followed her friend to a safer place. "Davis, be careful!" she cried as the two ran away.

The two Destined Jedi jumped back into the battle with newfound purpose. Davis went to Matt, TK, and Kari to help with the black Tyrannosaurus while Yolei joined Cody and Izzy to fight Kuwagamon.

A little ways away, at Fuji TV station, the company's holiday party was on hold. Electricity within the building started shutting on and off sporadically. Some employees watched the battle from windows on the eleventh floor.

Mr. Ishida and Rumiko gazed at the battle below. The man's blood went cold when he recognized Matt and TK among the children fighting the black dinosaur. He squeezed Rumiko's hand.

"Hiro, what are those things?" his fiancé asked in a quivering voice. "What's going on?"

Mr. Ishida took a gulp of air. He had planned to tell her everything about his sons and their "_special job_" after they got married. Guess that would be happening sooner than he liked.

"Rumiko," he said in a slow voice, "Come with me."

Back outside, Joe and Mimi joined in the battle after making sure all the concert attendees had been evacuated safely. Tai and Sora were back in action as well, helping Izzy, Yolei, and Cody with Kuwagamon.

Yolei screamed as the red insect Digimon dive-bombed right at her. The move was so unexpected that she couldn't raise her saber in time to defend herself. Sora jumped in front and sliced off one of its pincers before it could snatch up Yolei. Wounded, the creature was easy pickings for Tai and Izzy. The Jedi of Courage sliced it through the chest to bring it down. Izzy then finished the job by ramming his saber through it.

The other group of Jedi were not having as easy of a time with the black Tyrannosaurus. When either of them tried an attack, they were kicked or swiped way with its claws. Matt growled in frustration. This battle was taking way too long. Something had to be done quickly or the monster would be free to destroy the rest of Odaiba. Thoughts of his father and Rumiko flashed before his eyes.

"TK!" he shouted.

"Yeah?" TK responded.

"When I tell you, open a portal to the Digital World. We're going to send this guy back to where he came from."

The younger blonde nodded. "Alright."

Matt then shouted to everyone else. "Kari, Davis, when I tell you to hold it with the Force, do it."

"Roger!" the two Jedi replied.

The dinosaur snapped at Joe, who stepped to the side and slashed it on the nose. The beast roared in pain and moved its head back. A smoldering scratch covered the side of its nose, in addition to the one on top of its snout from Matt. What was it going to take for it to snatch up its prey? Whenever it tried, the creature always got scratched.

"DO IT!"

Davis and Kari stretched out their hands and the Force flowed out of them. The dinosaur felt like it had been hog tied with rope. It couldn't move.

"Open that portal, TK!" Matt instructed.

TK nodded and channeled as much Force energy he could. His concentration was bulletproof, his mind a steel trap as a portal opened next to him. The boy grunted while he enlarged the gate.

"Got it!" he cried.

"Now, throw him in there!"

Davis and Kari lifted the dinosaur into the air and threw it into the portal. The gate closed just as the monster disappeared from sight. All of the Jedi deactivated their lightsabers, sensing no other enemies around.

The area fell deathly quiet as the wind blew gently across the promenade. The Jedi looked at each other in silence. Smiles shot up their faces. Another successful battle where nobody got hurt.

"Nice work, everyone," Tai said proudly. "Another job well done." His face then became serious. "Looks like this thing is far from over."

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "Arukenimon and Mummymon are not going to stop until we're dead. We have to find them and destroy them."

"I'm not so sure that they're doing this all by themselves," said TK. "That master of theirs must have a hand in this too. We have to find him most of all."

"Where do we start?" asked Kari.

"I don't know," Ken said. He rejoined the group a few moments ago after helping civilians to safety. "But I have a bad feeling about this. I'm sensing this presence I haven't felt in a long time. It might be _him_. He's close."

Before anyone could ask, a cry of "Matt! TK!" rang out across the square. Everyone turned and saw Matt and TK's father, along with Rumiko, running right for them. Matt and TK stared wide-eyed at the woman. She didn't know about their secret, so why was their dad bringing her with him?

"Dad?" Both boys said as their father reached them.

"Are you both alright?" Mr. Ishida asked.

Matt nodded. "Just fine, Dad. Those Digimon won't be coming back around here anymore."

The man smiled. "Good. We had a front row seat up at the station, so we saw everything." He looked at Rumiko first and then to his sons. "Boys, I think it's time to tell Rumiko more about you. If she's going to be with me, she needs to accept all parts of us."

Rumiko stepped forward. TK eyed her with caution and kept a safe distance. He still did not trust her, even after the talk he had with his mother.

"Hi, Matt," she said to the teenager, then looked at TK. "Hi, TK."

"Hello," TK replied, keeping an even tone. His brain screamed in his ears to remember the promise he made to his mother.

Matt stepped up to meet Rumiko as the two stood a foot from each other.

"Rumiko," the older blonde said. He showed her his lightsaber. "This is the reason why we weren't around during the camping trip."

The woman looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean? What is that?" she asked.

Matt turned the saber on. Rumiko's eyes widened at the sight of the bright green blade. It was stunning to look at as she heard the saber hum.

"This is a real life lightsaber," Matt continued. "TK and I, along with our friends, we are a chosen group of warriors known as the Destined Jedi. Whenever monsters like those ones you saw or other troubles arise, it is our responsibility to stop them."

Rumiko swallowed the knot in her throat. This sounded too unbelievable. She looked back at Mr. Ishida as if to ask _'Is this true?'_. He nodded. She then looked back at her soon-to-be stepson.

"Okay," she said. "Tell me everything when we get home later. Promise?"

Matt nodded. "I promise."

* * *

The Destined Jedi stopped just before the entrance of Odaiba-kaihinkoen station. Ken stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back at them.

"Well, looks like this concludes my party," he said. "It was short-lived, but it was fun."

"We had a great time too, Ken," Davis replied with a bright smile. "Thanks for having us."

"Thank you," Yolei and Cody echoed.

Ken smiled right back. This warm feeling in his chest…he never wanted it to go away. Surrounded by so many people that cared about him, it made him realize how lucky he was to be alive. This Christmas was instantly the best ever.

He looked around and noticed that two Jedi were missing.

"Where are Tai and Sora?" he asked.

The other Jedi suddenly realized the absence of their leader and the Jedi of Love. They looked around the area, but didn't see them. That was odd. They had walked to the station with them all.

"Maybe they had something else to do," Izzy shrugged. "I'm sure they'd be here if they could, Ken."

"I know." Ken then ascended the staircase with one last wave. "See you all. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Ken," his friends echoed back.

A few yards down from the station, Tai and Sora stood in an alleyway between two buildings. At last, they finally had a few moments of peace without everyone else around.

Tai checked over his shoulder to make sure no one looked their way before setting his sights completely on Sora and Sora alone. She was a little banged up from when Kuwagamon knocked her away, but nothing he could see on her face.

"You okay?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Sora nodded. "I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah. That was mega freaky back there. How were those Digimon able to come to the real world?"

"No clue. I thought one of us would need to open a portal." Sora rubbed a finger along her chin. "Something's not right."

Tai nodded. "That's what I was afraid of."

He reached out to wrap Sora in a hug. The auburn-haired Jedi pushed her hand on his chest to stop him.

"Wait," she said cautiously. "Not here."

"Yes, here," Tai insisted, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her into his body. Her warmth against him made him feel warm and content inside.

"They might see us. We have to be careful."

"I'm tired of all this secrecy." Tai stroked her hair. "I don't care if they know we're dating now."

Sora blushed nervously and met his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Her boyfriend nodded. "Positive."

"Sure it has nothing to do with Matt and the necklace?" she asked with a teasing air.

An eyebrow twitched in annoyance as Tai responded, "No way, but if he'd have known, that wouldn't have happened. I don't think I like you wearing that."

Sora chuckled, then gave her boyfriend a reassuring smile. "Matt didn't know, and this is only a necklace."

Tai held her tight, groaning with displeasure.

The Jedi of Love finally surrendered to the embrace and wrapped her arms around his back. Like Tai, she also felt warm and content, as well as safe in his embrace. She never wanted to leave it.

"It's never ending," she murmured. "Not even on Christmas Eve."

"How do you think Santa feels?" Tai joked. "I'm sure he's wondering why he has to work every single Christmas Eve and never gets one off. You think we have it bad, he has it worse."

Sora laughed. "It is sad he never gets to enjoy Christmas Eve the way all of us do. He has to deliver all those presents and never once does he get one in return."

"I can't believe it's been three months already," Tai said as he rested a hand on her cheek. "You're better than any Christmas gift I'll get tomorrow morning."

Sora's eyes shot open. "Gift! That's right!" she exclaimed, reaching into her pocket. A bag of broken cookie pieces with chocolate smeared all over. Sora reacted in dismay when she saw the state of the tasty morsels. "Aw man!" she groaned. "I'm sorry, Tai. I meant to give this to you earlier, but with everything that happened…" a tear went down her cheek. "I'll make you fresh ones tomorrow. I promise."

Tai wiped the tear away with his thumb and smiled warmly at her. "That's okay. Why waste perfectly good cookies?" He snatched the bag from her and took out one of the large pieces. His face lit up the second the cookie touched his tongue. "They're delicious."

Sora's face brightened a little. "Really? I'm glad."

"Yes." Tai hugged her again, resting his forehead against hers. "If only I had something to give you."

"Your presence and the fact you are my boyfriend is enough for me."

A warm smile exploded up Tai's face. That statement made him feel happier than he could ever describe. He moved his head over to whisper in her ear.

"Merry Christmas, Sora."

"Merry Christmas, Tai."

* * *

**Merry Christmas one and all. What await the Destined Jedi next in their struggle against this unseen evil? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Wow! Over 10,000 words this chapter. This was the first time I've ever done that. I feel extremely proud of myself. I got this chapter done so fast that I had plenty of time to make edits and reword some things. **

**The songs Matt did were "Second Hand News" by Fleetwood Mac and "Can't Stop" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers so credit goes to their respective songwriters. **

**Even though I am a live-or-die Taiora guy, I could not help but feel bad for Matt knowing he was going to have his heart shattered. At least you guys had an idea that it would be coming instead of it just coming completely out of left field like Toei did to us. Even so, I was worried Sora would say yes to Matt for a moment. **

**Hopefully you all enjoyed it. Be sure to leave a review and subscribe because we are now reaching the homestretch. You guys are going to enjoy what is coming in the future. I guarantee it. **

**As always, stay safe and healthy and I will see you all next week. The next chapter is almost done. **


	36. The Tempting of TK

**Reviews: **

**Zero and Megaman: Thank you. You'll see what happens. It probably won't go that far, but we will see. **

**Music Chick: Yup. I can't help but feel bad for Matt, despite my hardcore Taiora inclinations. That chapter was a lot of fun to write. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thanks for the reviews and your insights. Always love them. Congrats on being the 200th reviewer! Collect your prize at the end of the chapter. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Totally XD But alas, they did not. Thanks for your support as always. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Yup. She will. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: No need to apologize. I know it was a long time since the first chapter, so I probably should have reminded y'all of that. Thanks always for your insights. Keep giving them. I look forward to your reviews every week, Greymon. **

**Shout outs to sorato1990 and Clefeifei for the favorites and Cleifeifei and TheGamingAssassin for the follows. Thank you all so much.**

* * *

**Hey, guys! 200 reviews! Unbelievable! This was the first time I have ever reached that barrier. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all so much. This calls for a special surprise at the end of the chapter. It's a long teaser from Revenge of the Infected, my version of Tri that will be coming out once this story is over. Until then, let's see where the adventure takes us this time. **

**As the title implies, TK has to deal with one last major thing in terms of him getting better. **

**Enjoy ;-)**

* * *

Davis stretched up in his bed with a loud yawn. It was Christmas morning, but all of the action from last night had worn him out to where he forgot what day it was for a moment. Visions of sugar plums didn't dance in his head, but he did have a lot of unanswered questions.

How were those Digimon able to come to the real world without one of them opening a gate? He didn't remember opening one, nor anyone else. The only one he remembered seeing was when Yolei opened a portal to send the black Tyrannosaurus Digimon back to the Digital World. This whole thing was getting weirder by the day.

It had to be Arukenimon and Mummymon.

The two had been silent for the last couple of months with the Jedi having no encounters with them during that period. At the time, it was weird because the two Digimon never passed up a chance to go after the Jedi. Now, Davis started to understand why that was. Whatever they were planning, he would make sure that the Jedi stopped Arukenimon and Mummymon in their tracks.

Davis yawned again as he got up out of bed. He grabbed the goggles off his desk and made his way into the living room. His mom stood at the stove making breakfast, his father sat at the table sipping on a cup of coffee, and Jun sat on the couch staring blankly at the television.

"Merry Christmas," he said.

"Merry Christmas," his family echoed.

Mrs. Motomiya turned back to smile at her son. "Hungry? I'm making pancakes."

"Yes, please."

Davis sat down on the other side of the angled couch. Jun glanced over and then looked away so fast it was like she never altered her gaze. The boy sensed an aura of uncertainty around his sister. After he saved her from being torn to shreds by Gizamon, thereby revealing himself as a Destined Jedi, Davis wasn't sure what to expect.

Finally, Jun spoke in a quiet voice, "Thanks."

The younger brother cocked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Thanks for what you did for me last night," Jun elaborated. "Those things would have eaten me if you hadn't stepped in. I really owe you one, Squirt. Thank you."

Davis was in shock. His annoying, bratty older sister was actually thanking him for something? The world must have stopped turning, or maybe an alien possessed Jun's brain and turned her into someone else. This was too weird.

A warm smile spread across his face. "Eh, don't worry about it. I wouldn't let anything happen to my big sister, no matter how annoying you are. We're still a family."

Jun nodded, giving her brother a rare smile. She still had one other question though.

"So," she began, looking over her shoulder to make sure their parents weren't listening. "Does this mean you're some kind of Jedi or whatever they're called?"

Davis gave a slow nod in reply. "Yes, I am."

"I thought that was only in the movies."

"I thought so too until I became one in April. We've spent the last eight months going to this place called the Digital World. Ken was this evil emperor that was trying to take it over completely so we had to stop him. We did, and then –"

Davis' explanation was cut off when a news report came on. Footage of the attacks from last night played while the reporter described everything that happened. Suddenly, the Jedi were shown striking down the Digimon or corralling them. The headline at the bottom read '_Monster attacks. Mysterious children stop them. Who are they?' _

"_The district was saved last night by this group of children that carried swords like lightsabers from the '__**Star Wars'**__ movies," _the reporter said._ "Eleven of them had these swords, and boy genius Ken Ichijouji appeared to be among them. He helped escort bystanders to safety as these children took care of the monsters. These are pictures that we took from the footage shot during the attack. Due to minor laws, we are unable to reveal their identities without permission." _

Blurred images of each individual Jedi flashed across the screen. Black bars were put over their eyes if they were clear enough to be seen. Davis' jaw almost hit the floor.

"_Who are these mysterious children? What are they doing here, and why do they do what they do? From Odaiba, I'm Rukia Inuhara. NHK." _

The phone rang at that precise moment. Davis shot from his spot on the couch and picked it up before anyone else.

"Hello?"

"_Davis, did you see the news report just now?" _Tai asked.

"Yeah, I saw it."

"_We're all meeting at Matt's house to talk about this. They may not have revealed our identities, but we can't be too careful. We need a plan." _

"Alright. I'll be right over." Davis hung up the phone and went to grab his coat.

Mrs. Motomiya stepped out of the kitchen with a steaming hot plate of pancakes. She was surprised to see her son preparing to leave.

"Davis, where are you going?" she asked. "Don't you want breakfast?"

"Later," he replied. "Sorry to split like this, but it's an emergency. I'll be back soon."

Davis stepped into his shoes and shut the door behind him before either of his family members could say anything else.

Mr. and Mrs. Motomiya looked at each other with concern. What had gotten into their son? They looked over at Jun, silently asking if she knew anything. She shrugged.

* * *

Everyone gathered at Matt's apartment within thirty minutes. The Christmas tree stood tall in the corner, wrapping paper lay strung across the floor from gifts that had been opened earlier that morning, and the smell of bacon and eggs hung in the air.

There was just one person missing.

"Where's Ken?" asked Matt, looking around the room.

All the kids looked at each other curiously. They silently asked if any of them had seen Ken this morning. Each one was met with a shake of the head.

Suddenly, a portal appeared in the living room and Ken stepped through it. He breathed heavily to try and get his breath back.

"Were you running a marathon when you got the news, Ken?" Davis joked.

"Reporters were outside my door the whole morning," Ken explained. "I swear, those bloodsuckers were waiting to ambush me."

"How'd you get out without your parents noticing?" asked Izzy.

"I excused myself into my room and opened the portal." Ken sighed. "What happened? Who was watching us?"

"My concert was being broadcasted live last night, so I guess the cameras kept rolling as everything devolved into chaos," Matt said. "All of this means we're going to have to be a little careful going forward in terms of going out. The media is going to do everything they can to talk to us." He looked into the kitchen and then turned back. "Which is why I am having Dad and Rumiko help us out."

As if on cue, the two adults came in from the kitchen. Mr. Ishida wore a dark blue robe with a grey shirt underneath, black shorts, and brown slippers. His hair was messy with bedhead. A cup of coffee rested in his hands. Rumiko had on black silk pajamas and also carried a cup of coffee.

"Hi, kids. Merry Christmas." Mr. Ishida said with a smile.

"Merry Christmas," replied the Destined Jedi.

TK's eyes narrowed slightly at the woman. The last thing he wanted to do was spend Christmas here with her, but he held his tongue. It was still a struggle for him to control his emotions whenever she was around. Matt noticed his body language and gave a subtle glare out of the corner of his eyes.

The adults sat down on the couch as the television blared a news show that continued talking about the events from last night. A few pundits were on to give their opinions on the situation.

"This is bad," Mr. Ishida mumbled. "This is just like three years ago."

"What do you mean?" Rumiko asked her fiancé, squeezing his hand.

"I had to put out a few fires regarding the press wanting to talk to the kids after the events from three summers ago," he explained. "I was able to do it well last time because no one really saw anything. This time, everyone knows. The whole thing was broadcast all over the city. It's going to be harder."

"What do we do, Dad?" Matt said. "What's the plan?"

His father stared at the television, listening to the news anchor drag on and on about the possible identities of the children. It slowly dawned on him: He and Rumiko both worked in two of the city's biggest news organizations. Maybe they could use their influence to herd the media off for a while until all of this died down.

"I think I've got it," said Mr. Ishida. "I'll do what I can to try and kill the story. In the meantime, you guys lay low as much as possible until I can work something out. Only go out when you need to, and if you do, don't draw any attention to yourselves. We don't want a massive firestorm on our hands."

"And I'll do what I can too," Rumiko added. "You kids will be safe. We promise. We are not going to let this get out of hand."

Matt and the others nodded and bowed in thanks.

"Thank you," they all said.

Tai stepped up to speak. "Don't tell anyone outside of our immediate circle about what happened last night. You never know who may be a squealer, so don't trust anyone."

Davis pulled out his collar with a nervous chuckle.

"This will blow over so long as we stay quiet. May the Force be with us."

* * *

'_Come on, you dumbass! How hard can it be?' _

TK was a rolling bundle of nerves as he paced across the floor. The restless feeling in his heart swallowed him like he was drowning. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Why should he go through all this trouble the day after Christmas? Blush spread across his face.

"_Go and talk to Kari...from the HEART! Or else one day...I will! And then I really will be your problem!" _

The blonde looked at the phone. It sat there on the receiver laughing in his face, reminding him of the pickle he had put himself in. Why was this so hard for him to do? When the group left his dad's place the day before, he passed up the opportunity to talk to Kari there too. His nerves took over and refused to let go as he watched her walk off with Tai and Davis.

TK stared at the phone for what felt like hours. Finally, he took a sharp breath and picked it up. He dialed the Kamiya's home number, filled with determination to finally ask her out. Things were finally going to change for him after all these months of self-pity and missed opportunities.

"Come on. Pick up, pick up, pick up!" he muttered under his breath as the phone rang on the other line.

"_Hello?" _

TK's eyes widened. "Mrs. Kamiya?"

"_Yes. Who is this?" _the woman asked.

"It's TK. Is Kari home by any chance?"

"_No, she and Tai went out a little while ago. I can give you Tai's cell phone number if you'd like, TK." _

"That would be fine, ma'am. Thank you."

The blonde copied down the seven digits as Kari's mother read them off. Once he finished, he bid Mrs. Kamiya goodbye with a 'thank you' before hanging up. He dialed the number for Tai's cell phone and resumed his aura of impatience as he waited for an answer.

"_Hello? Tai here," _the Jedi of Courage said.

"Tai, it's TK. Can I speak to Kari?"

"_Sure. Just one sec." _

TK heard Tai speaking to someone off the receiver before a new voice appeared. This one made his palms sweat and his mouth dry as a desert.

"_Hello?" _Kari answered.

"K-Kari," TK replied, a blush spreading across his face. Everything he had practiced saying suddenly left his mind. "H-How's it going? You wanna…um….you wanna….?"

"_Wanna what?" _

TK bit his lip. Even if it killed him, he was going to get what he wanted to say out. His voice came out like a dying duck as he said, "Do you want to do something right now? I'm not busy and was wondering if maybe you and Tai weren't doing something major. Just you and me."

His heart pounded in his chest. He did it. He finally said what he had wanted to say for some time. It felt exhilarating. The warmth on his cheeks spread throughout his whole body, going along with the lightheadedness and tightness in his stomach.

The other line was silent for three seconds until Kari gave her response.

"_Sorry, TK. Not right now," _she said apologetically._ "I've got plans already. Maybe some other time." _

TK contained his dejectedness as best he could. How could she do this to him? She never turned him down before. He was always the number one priority for her when it came to friends to do stuff with.

"Yeah?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. "Like what?"

"_I'm at Aqua City with Da-" _Kari suddenly yelled at someone, followed by the sound of laughter. A voice that TK could completely tell belonged to Davis shouted back at her. _"Sorry, TK. Another time. I've got to go. You know how much of a handful Tai and Davis are when they're together. Bye." _

"Hold on!"

The monotone sound of the line being cut off blasted in TK's ear. He hardly noticed as he stood in shellshock, unable to believe what had just happened. Kari was at Aqua City with Davis? Tai going with her, he could understand. But _**DAVIS?! **_His stomach would have dropped to the floor if it weren't still inside his body.

The blonde grabbed his coat and left the apartment. His destination: Aqua City. Luckily for him, it was just down the street from his apartment building so it took him all of about five minutes to get there. Hardly anyone was out with it being the day after Christmas, making the trip that much easier. He was going to get to the bottom of this.

Aqua City was six stories high with a food court at the very bottom level that had multiple different types of food stands. Shops from traditional to modern to international filled its interior. A ramen street on the fourth floor allowed anyone to sample different types of ramen from all over Japan: Tonkotsu ramen; miso; shoyu; shio; the possibilities were endless. There was even a shrine on the roof.

TK did not even know where to start looking as he entered the monstrosity. Shoppers went here and there to try and cash in on day-after-Christmas deals. He did not see Kari, let alone Tai and Davis, among them. They had to be somewhere else in the mall. He calmed his mind and reached out to sense them with the Force.

He quickly found them.

TK took off down the hall, guided only by the Force. He took the escalator up to the third floor and looked around, scanning the walkway for any sign of his three fellow Jedi. The trail of Force energy ended right here on this level.

It didn't take long for him to find them. Davis' loud voice made it easy. They were far enough down the way that none of them saw TK. Davis looked like he was telling a story and Tai and Kari listened as they walked along. Kari laughed when he said something funny.

"Davis, you're so funny!" She held a hand over her stomach and forehead as she laughed. Kari hugged his arm and interlaced her fingers with his, swinging their joined hands back and forth as they walked past several storefronts. She smirked. "You know, girls like guys that can make them laugh. You're going to make a girl very happy some day."

Davis blushed. "Aw. I don't know about that," he said sheepishly.

Kari tightened her grip. "You don't think you're funny? It's your confidence. It shows in everything you say and do. I think that's what would make you attractive. If anyone says otherwise, let me know and I'll take care of it."

"Thanks. It's a talent, I guess." Davis scratched the back of his head. "I don't think of myself as confident per say. I just have a knack for knowing what to say."

Kari frowned and stopped walking. "Hey!" She held Davis' face with her hands, stern and annoyed by his lack of confidence. "This isn't the Davis I know. The Davis I know would boast about eating half a pizza, faking to share the other half, but then end up eating the rest saying he had to because of his good looks. Not that I understand how that works, but where's that guy?"

Blush spread across Davis' face as he felt Kari's hands on his cheeks. Words failed him when he gazed into Kari's reddish-brown eyes. "Uh…."

"Look me in the eyes. Repeat after me. 'I, Davis Motomiya, am a handsome guy who is funny and can get any girl he likes because I'm confident in anything I say and do.' Repeat that. Go on."

"Alright." Davis took a shaky breath and said in a not-so-confident voice, "I, Davis Motomiya, am a handsome guy who is funny and can get any girl he likes because I'm confident in anything I say and do."

Kari put her hands on her hips, unconvinced he meant it. "Again!" She smirked. "Make me believe you!"

"I, Davis Motomiya, am a handsome guy who is funny and can get any girl he likes because I'm confident in anything I say and do." Davis repeated confidently. A matching smile shot up his face.

"Alright! He's back!" Kari exclaimed, punching the air.

The three Jedi took the escalator on the other side down to the food court. TK followed them from a distance, not wanting to alert them to his presence. Fear gripped his heart, desperately hoping that his one chance was not passing him before his eyes.

Davis and Kari went to a random food stand.

"So, who's the lucky girl?" Kari asked, reading the menu.

Davis blushed and stammered, "Th-There's no one right now. Honest."

"That's the story we're going with?" Kari gasped, recognizing the hesitance in his voice. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes for a second before looking back at the menu.

Davis nodded. "Yeah."

The two ordered gyoza plates, which took a couple minutes to make. Once they got them, they walked back to the table that Tai sat at near the middle of the food court.

"I want you to say that monologue to yourself every morning," Kari said. "When you get enough confidence to finally ask her out, then come tell me. I'll cheer you on. You're a great guy, Davis. Anyone that would turn you down is a fool."

"Th-Thanks."

"Don't be so modest, Davis," Tai lightly slapped him on the head. "You really are a funny guy. Excuse me a second, guys."

The Jedi of Courage got up and went to go grab napkins, leaving the two kids alone. The blush on Davis' face spread further like a flood. He and Kari were finally alone! He had prepared for this moment for a long time, but now that it was here he didn't know what to say. He squeezed the denim of his jean legs.

"I hope she does see me that way," he said, trying to keep his nerves at bay. "I've been wanting to ask her for a long time, but only realized recently that I had to make my move soon."

Kari smiled at him. That warm, bright smile that would make any boy's heart melt.

"She will. Your buoyance and confidence are your two biggest strong suits."

Kari took Davis' hands from underneath the table brought it to rest on top. Her finger slowly glided across his hands until they locked together. That sincere smile brightened, melting Davis' heart. His fingers encircled hers, becoming lost in her smile.

"Kari, you're beautiful inside and out. I want to find someone just like you. In fact –"

TK shot up from his table and left. He couldn't bear to hear Kari's response. His hands tightened into fists and his blood surged through his body in a jealous rage. That rage turned into despair. It was over. The chance had passed him by. Davis finally seemed like he had beaten him to the punch, just like he said he would.

TK went up the escalator. Tears blinded his vision as he left Aqua City with one last forlorn look, his heart broken beyond repair. He had nothing left to hope for anymore.

A man in a purple trench coat put down his water as the blonde boy left the food court. An evil smirk played on the corner of his lips. This was going to be too easy. Everything was falling into place.

'_Now I make you mine.'_

* * *

That night, TK robotically brushed his teeth and washed his face. After wordlessly bidding his mother good night, he entered his bedroom and slid under the covers. He laid his head on the pillow looking up at the ceiling. That's when TK finally let a spark of emotion cross his face.

This had to be the worst day of his life, even worse than the day his parents divorced. Because he had been such a coward, he lost Kari to Davis. The bastard said he would get her if he couldn't, and finally made his move.

It was over. Kari belonged to Davis now. A tear spilled down TK's cheek. He never felt so alone before. All of his hope had been lost. His wrist started to tingle, but he knew why that was. He didn't have to look at it to know that the black on his tattoo was slowly creeping in. TK pulled the covers up to his chin and curled up, burying his face in his pillow.

The realm of dreams wrapped him in its comforting embrace, ridding him of all that had happened that day.

* * *

"_Takeru….Takeru…" _a soft voice moaned._ "Wake up."_

TK's eyes fluttered open slowly. The warmth of his sheets and comforter was missing. He blinked in surprise as he realized he was laying on cold ground. What was going on? The blonde looked down his body. He was still wearing his green pajamas, but surrounded in total darkness. He could not see a thing.

"_Are you awake yet?"_

A bright light suddenly flashed on him. TK groaned at the surprise of it, shooting a hand straight up to shield his eyes. He propped himself up on his elbow, looking around to gaze at his surroundings once his eyes adjusted to the light.

The black void suddenly morphed into a pitch black forest. The wind swirled ominously, adding sound to the otherwise terrifying silence and darkness that surrounded him. Woodpeckers pecking on the wood of trees echoed through the forest. Owls filled the night with their eerie calls. Fog drifted lightly along the ground, obscuring what lay beyond the boundaries of where TK was.

TK hugged his arms tighter into his body. It was so cold. Steam came out of his mouth whenever he would breathe. He scrambled to his feet. In horror, he realized that he recognized this place. His mind was forever scarred from his experience in the Dark Forest back when he was finishing his training. It was just as he remembered.

"What is going on?" he asked himself, staying alert for anything that would come out.

"_Takeru." _

TK screamed out into the open. The voice startled him. It came from somewhere close by. His eyes darted from one corner of the path to the other, then everywhere in-between. Nothing was there.

"Who are you?" he shouted, pushing down the fear in his chest. "Show yourself!"

A twig snapped close by. TK jolted around; nothing but dark forest and fog lay ahead. No signs of a body or animal scurrying around. His heart pounded like a bass drum in his chest.

He turned back to where he faced before. A tall figure in a cloak loomed over him, its long, pale face grinned a wicked grin.

"Boo."

TK yelled in surprise and backed away as fast as he could.

The figure laughed, sounding more like a wheeze than an actual laugh. "I'm sorry," it said in a soft, hissing voice similar to a snake's. "Did I scare you?"

The man analyzed every feature of the boy's face and smiled with approval. "My, my, Takeru. You've grown," he purred, then rested his palm parallel to his knee. "I haven't seen you since you were yea high."

"Who are you?" TK asked, clutching his chest and breathing heavily to ease his pounding heart.

An evil smirk spread across the dark man's face. "Don't you remember?" he asked. "Oh, wait, you probably don't. You were only four when we first met."

"Huh?"

"I was investigating the "terrorist incident" in Hikarigaoka seven years ago, and I needed help with speaking to residents at the surrounding apartment complexes. Your mother assisted me in my efforts by serving as a liaison between me and them. I met you when I went to meet her for the first time." A genuine smile spread across the man's face. "You reminded me so much of my godson."

TK thought back to that time, digging through his memory for any time he saw the man's face. He analyzed every feature of him and then looked through a row of trees to his left. A warning grew in his heart. The dark side of the Force surrounded the man in front of him.

"That's…nice. Sorry, I don't remember," he said. He turned away and started to walk deeper into the forest. "I'll see you around."

The man sneered, but he was fuming underneath. How dare the boy dismiss him so easily! His hands balled into fists at his side. He lifted one and poured the Force into that hand.

"I did not say you could leave!" he hissed.

TK shot towards the man like a yo-yo coming back. A pale grey hand squeezed his neck and turned him to face the man. TK struggled to breathe, desperately trying to pry the man's hand off of him.

"_I _control this dream, you little cretin! Not you!" that soft, hissing voice became even more intimidating. His eyes turned an evil yellow as they glared at the boy. "Who do you think you are? Do you honestly believe you're worthy enough to wear that tattoo of Hope? Your peers obviously didn't think so."

Shivers shot down TK's spine. His panic rose a few notches when he saw the color of the man's eyes. Wheezes came out of his mouth as the hand around his throat tightened.

The gangly man pressed his nose against TK's and growled, "That little princess whore would rather be with your competition. Say, what bra size do you think she is? A? Double A? I'm guessing they're mosquito bites."

TK's blood boiled in hatred as the fiend snickered. His anger went straight to his foot and kicked the man right between the legs. The man screamed in agony and released his grip on the boy, pressing his hands down to his groin.

TK coughed and hacked, desperately drinking in as much air as possible. He rubbed his neck as he hurried to his feet, stumbling for a moment before gathering his balance. His hand wrapped around the hilt of his lightsaber and unleashed the blue blade with a _hiss_.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled.

Low, pained hisses came out of the man's mouth as he breathed through the pain. There was dead silence for several moments before the pain subsided, allowing him to speak.

"Let's get reintroductions out of the way. I'm Yukio Oikawa, but you can call me…_master _from now on." Oikawa's wicked sneer returned. "I am the one who has watched you from afar for several months now, Takeru. I saw just how powerful you are. Your anger makes you even stronger. Join me, and we will do extraordinary things together. You will finally earn the recognition you deserve."

"I'll never join you!" TK shot. "What's your game? If I happen to remind you of your godson, why don't you ask him to join you in your evil deeds?"

"Game? Dear boy, if this was a game to me, I'd have killed you by now."

TK froze. Oikawa was right. He would be dead right now if this was indeed a game. Even so, something did not feel right about this place. He decided to lie to bide time for himself.

"M-My friends already know that something is up," he stuttered. "They're looking for me right now."

Oikawa snickered. "Do you honestly think the others care about you?"

A mirror emerged from a cloud of darkness and landed right in front of TK. The boy saw his reflection for one second, but then he saw something other than himself. Matt, Tai, Sora, Mimi, and the rest of the Jedi. They were all sleeping soundly in their beds.

"They don't care about you," said Oikawa. His voice sounded more far-off, like he was farther away than he really was. "Even Davis, who is supposed to be the Jedi of Friendship, hasn't sensed anything wrong with you. Then again, maybe I'm wrong."

The image of Davis enlarged to stand out from the others. Davis opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. Slowly, he sat up in his bed, looking around the room in confusion. Something was wrong, but what? Everything was quiet and as it should be in the room. He shrugged, then laid back in bed snuggling under his covers.

Oikawa laughed again. "See that? I was right. He sensed something, but didn't care. Then again, why would he want to help you? He knows he took your girl away."

All the other scenes faded away from the mirror. The one of Davis and Kari holding hands from earlier that day while sitting at the table appeared. TK instantly felt sick, wanting to look away but couldn't. It burned him to the core and disgusted him.

"Yessss," Oikawa answered like a snake, sending chills down TK's spine. "Feel that rage building in you."

"Shut up!" TK growled. "You don't know anything about me."

"Oh, but I do know."

TK went numb as the next scene appeared to replace Davis and Kari holding hands. It was one he desperately wanted to forget. It was a bright day, which served as a contrast to what was happening in front of him. Seven-year-old Matt and his father walked away from four-year-old TK and his mother and got in the car. They drove off as Matt looked back at the younger blonde with tears in his eyes.

"Now, how about this? You have lived without your father and brother for most of your life. You always wanted your parents to get back together. But then," Rumiko appeared hugging his father's arm, "s_he _came and ruined everything. She stole your father's heart and won over your brother. If you join me, we can fix everything. Your father will forget all about that other woman and join you and your mother again. You and Matt can finally live under the same roof again."

TK stood his ground as he fought the urge to cry. He noticed some of the branches from up high flicker and static then go back to normal. He tried to look out for more of this to get an idea of where he was, realizing this wouldn't happen in real life.

"Some things happen in life that are out of our control," he said, scanning the area. "As much as I want my family together, it is what it is. What I want to know is why are you so obsessed with me?"

Oikawa chuckled and said in a dark voice, "My dear boy. We are always taught about the struggle of good and evil. What they neglect to tell us is there is no good and evil. There is only power and those that can handle it. My old apprentice proved he was too weak to handle that power.

"You, on the other hand, are strong. The reason Tai stripped you of your leadership position was because he feared you would surpass him. That you would be too strong for him to control. Break through the fog of lies your so-called friends have created around you and see what it feels like to be powerful. I can show you the way."

Kari appeared on the mirror this time.

"It is one way to reclaim Kari. To make her see you for who you are now and not that little boy she still thinks of you as."

Sadness showered over TK as he looked at Kari. All the times that they'd spent together ran through his head. Her smile. How it felt when she hugged him. All the times they spent together as best friends. He wanted to have those days back. Maybe Oikawa was right. If he became strong enough, she would come back to him.

He shook his head. "No. Kari is the Jedi of Light. If I succumb to your level, she'd want nothing to do with me."

"More than she already has?" Oikawa shot back. "Leaving you out in the cold like some abandoned puppy for that loser Davis? Seems to me like she wants nothing to do with you anymore."

The static became more frequent. TK kept his eyes glued to them as he responded, "If the only way I can keep her in my life is to still be her best friend, then that's what it'll be. It's better than losing her completely."

He took a breath. "You're right. I am powerful. I think I'm even more powerful than you can ever imagine because I'm choosing not to go to the dark side." TK's blue eyes narrowed at the man. "I'm the master of my fate in my dreams!"

Static covered the entire sky. The sky shattered and crumbled all around the two adversaries. Everywhere was pitch dark except for the light that came from TK's lightsaber.

Light suddenly appeared, showing them trapped inside a large white room. Oikawa screamed in pain from the sudden change in light. His full appearance was finally revealed to TK. He wore a dark robe, but his hood was off. TK's green pajamas transformed into a pure white robe.

"Too bright!" Oikawa screamed. His eyes narrowed in hatred at the boy once they adjusted to the light. "You foolish boy, I can help you. Davis has already stolen Kari from you. If you become more powerful than the rest, she will finally see you as who you are now. Women are attracted to power. Don't be a fool."

Oikawa reached out his hand, smiling a warm smile. "Come with me. We can do great things together."

But TK shook his head. "No. Mark my words. I will find out where you are. My team and I will take you down."

A shot of pain went through his heart as he thought of his next words. "I will learn to live with my family situation. No matter what, Kari is still my best friend. If I need to prove to her that I've changed, I will." He swallowed. "And if she turns out happier with Davis, then I'll learn to live with that too."

As soon as he said them, he realized he actually believed what he was saying. He did care for Kari. As much as he wanted her to choose him instead of Davis, as long as she was happy and still his friend, then that was all he needed.

A hiss escaped Oikawa's lips. His dark black eyes flared yellow once again as anger surged through him. "Then you will be destroyed!" he growled. "Along with all your worthless little friends. Just wait. I'm not through with you all yet."

Before TK could do anything, a black mist surrounded Oikawa. When it cleared, the man was gone. He gasped, surprised by the action, but was happy to be rid of the man. Now to get out of this dream, he thought.

TK looked around the white room to find an exit. There was none. The void went on as far as the eye could see with no possible way of getting out. The blonde calmed his mind and sat on the floor.

He crossed his legs and began to meditate. One thought came into his mind, and he focused on it with intense concentration.

"_Wake up."_

* * *

TK darted straight up with a gasp. A cold sweat covered his brow as he became aware of his surroundings. The room was dark and still, the warmth of his bed surrounded him. He was back in his room. That really was just a bad dream after all.

Something told him to look down at his wrist. He switched on the lamp to his right and gazed down at the tattoo.

All the black stuff that accumulated on his tattoo had disappeared. Not a single trace was left, almost like it had never been there in the first place. A smile shot up TK's face. He had done it. He had conquered the darkness in his heart. A proud feeling washed over him.

"_I don't know what Oikawa has planned next, but I will not rest until he is stopped_." TK thought with determination.

After changing out of his sweat soaked pajamas, he curled back in his sheets and went to bed with a clear mind for the first time in a long time.

* * *

The next morning, everyone met over at Izzy's apartment to discuss how their first day of laying low went. There was also the issue of finding a meaning to the prophecy that was still unanswered.

"Wait, seriously?" Davis asked with wide eyes.

TK nodded. "It's true. Some guy invaded my dreams and tried to turn me against you guys. He even showed me a vision of you waking up like something was wrong, Davis. You went back to sleep though."

"That never happened," the burgundy-haired leader said. "I was asleep the whole time."

Cody looked down for the amount of time it takes to blink. Hearing all of this troubled him.

"Did he give you his name by any chance?" he asked.

"Yes," TK replied. "He said his name was…Yukio Oikawa, or something like that."

Ken's face paled. It couldn't be!

"Oh no," he gasped. "Not him."

"You know him?"

"Yes. He was the one who turned me to the dark side and fomented the Emperor to grow inside of me until it took over. After I stopped being the Emperor, he must have been looking for a new apprentice," Ken explained. "And he chose you, TK."

Matt put an arm around his brother, troubled by Ken's words. "That's not going to happen," he declared. "Not on my watch."

The older blonde glanced down at TK's tattoo. It didn't stand out as much as it had lately. There seemed to be no trace of black on it.

Matt took TK's wrist and inspected it closely. It was cleared of darkness. He smiled at TK as a silent "good job." The younger brother nodded back with a smile.

"What do we do now?" Kari asked, sensing the unease around the room. "Whoever this Oikawa is, he won't stop until he gets us. We need a plan."

Davis nodded in agreement. Looking back at Ken, he asked, "Ken, what should we know about this guy? Any strengths? Weaknesses?"

"Yeah," Tai said. "Even the littlest detail will help."

The Jedi of Kindness dug deep into his thoughts for memories of what he remembered Oikawa to be. He hadn't seen the man in months, nor did he ever want to see him again, but he wanted to help the cause any way he could. If that meant going through the past, so be it.

"He's very manipulative," he said. "He's a Jekyll and Hyde personality. One minute, he can be kind and understanding in order to drop your guard. The next, he is ruthless and cutthroat; he won't think twice about killing you if it suits his purpose. I can't think of any weaknesses. Be very careful with him. In short, he's like any cult leader you know of."

"How charming," Mimi said with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

TK felt his phone vibrate, but ignored it. Whoever it was could call back in a little while. This was more important. Soon, the phone stopped vibrating. He listened closely as Ken continued.

"He knows what buttons to push in order to get the desired reaction from you. It's how he used me. He used Sam's death and the fact my parents ignored me against me to push me down the path of evil."

Tai nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, absorbing the information. "Go on."

Ken returned the nod and resumed talking.

"Even so, manipulation is not all he has. He is very powerful as well. In a way, he is almost like Darth Sidious if you will."

"Ken, why was he using you?" Tai asked. "If he's that powerful, why use you?"

The raven-haired boy looked down at his shoes for a second, trying to remember why Oikawa had used him in the first place. He pressed his lips together in remembrance.

"I don't know," he said. "He always told me that as the Digimon Emperor, it was my duty to bring security and justice to the Digital World. When I finished my mission, he said we would rule it together."

Ken gasped. "He used me to do his dirty work. I was the perfect vessel for that. My brother had just died, my parents treated me like I was dead too, and then he came. He preyed on me when I was most vulnerable."

Yolei smiled a sympathetic smile and patted his shoulder. "That's the best way to get someone to do your dirty work," she said. "But you're with us now. Besides," she looked at TK, "Now Oikawa sees he can't mess with this group."

"I bet it's this Oikawa who is the snake in the prophecy," Izzy realized. "He's been in the shadows with Ken for a long time."

Tai gasped. "It's possible. Maybe he's also Arukenimon and Mummymon's master. He's been behind all of this from the very beginning."

TK's phone vibrated again. Angrily, he pulled it out of his pocket to tell off whoever was calling as he looked at the caller ID.

It was his mother.

The younger blonde knew he had better take the call, or else.

"Excuse me for a second, guys," he said with a sheepish grin. "I've got to take this call. I think it's important."

TK excused himself to a far corner of the room and answered the call. "Hey, Mom. Sorry. I'm kinda in the middle of an important Jedi meeti–"

"_TK!" _Ms. Takaishi interrupted. "_Something happened the other day and I wanted to warn you before you come in contact with this person at all." _

"What?"

"_The other day, I ran into an old acquaintance named Oikawa. He said that I should be careful with you and then walked off. It scared me." _

TK's eyes widened in fear. He looked over at Matt and then to the others. They looked back at him, wondering what was going on.

"TK?" Kari asked with concern. Using the Force, she read his mind to see what it was about. She gasped. "Davis, it's about Oikawa."

Davis' eyes also widened in fear. He motioned TK to join them. The blonde shook his head, unable to move. He was paralyzed with fear.

Matt took matters into his own hands. He ripped the phone out of TK's grasp and brought it to the middle of the room, putting it on speaker.

"Mom, you're on speaker," he said. "What about Oikawa?"

"_I don't know much about him to be honest with you," _said Ms. Takaishi, now broadcast to the entire room. "_I only knew him when we worked together on investigating the Hikarigaoka incident seven years ago. I never spoke to him again after that." _

There was a pause as the woman put her next thoughts together. The kids listened anxiously for what she had to say.

"_From what I can gather, he worked as a physicist for several years. Earlier this year, he resigned his job and disappeared until I saw him the other day. It was the freakiest thing I ever experienced. There's something off about him." _

Ken gasped. There was something else he remembered. "He worked with my dad. That's how he found me. He used to come over for dinner a lot after Sam died."

Everyone looked at Ken in shock.

"He's a cunning snake at that if this was planned long ago," Joe said, rubbing his chin with a contemplating look.

"_Promise me that you'll stay away from him, TK," _Ms. Takaishi pleaded. _"You too, Matt. I didn't get a good feeling from it. I'm worried he may try something with the two of you." _

TK looked around the circle at everyone, lastly landing on Kari. He kept his gaze focused on her as he replied, "We're actually talking about him at this meeting. This helped. It looks like he's targeting us. We'll be okay, Mom. Don't worry."

His mother gasped. _"Targeting you? In that case, be extra careful." _

The call ended. TK put the phone down on the floor and sat down in a circle with everyone else. He scratched his head as nerves swelled up within his stomach. If only his mother had told him about this sooner.

"He found my mom," he gasped.

Matt gritted his teeth, frustrated at what was happening. A tense atmosphere blanketed the room. Everyone else wondered what to do next as they sat silently for what felt like hours.

"Tai?" Sora said, turning to look next to her. "I think it's time."

The Jedi of Courage rubbed his chin. He knew exactly what she meant, but he wanted to see where Joe stood with it. He glanced at the Jedi of Reliability and asked him with his eyes.

Joe nodded. "I agree. It's time that we send them there. This isn't anywhere compared to the Digimon Emperor." He blushed with embarrassment and looked at Ken with an apologetic smile. "No offence."

Ken smiled. "None taken."

Tai nodded to himself. With that confirmation, he was ready for it now. The time had come. "Izzy. Let's get in touch with Gennai. We need the newbies to be fully ready. It's time."

"Hey!" Yolei shrieked. "Who are you calling a newbie? I think we've gotten the hang of this."

"But there are still some things you need to know, Yolei," Sora replied to her student. "Things that we learned early on that you need to know now in order to be a complete Jedi."

Mimi nodded in agreement. "Sora's right. There is still one thing you have to do." She shivered at the thought.

Yolei puffed out her cheeks in a pout and crossed her arms. "Fiiine."

Cody nodded. "I'll do it."

"That's the spirit, guys!" Davis exclaimed. He looked to his left. "Ken? Up for it? Or, does it count for Ken too, Tai?"

Tai looked at Matt. The blonde smiled and nodded in approval. Tai looked back at Davis. "Ken counts too." Then he looked at Kari. "You too, Kari. You weren't with us when we did this. Are you sure you're ready?"

Kari rubbed her arm and laughed nervously. "As ready as I'll ever be. Anything for the team."

"Good girl," Tai smiled. "You'll be fine."

With that taken care of, Izzy moved to the next item on the agenda. This was one he needed answers to as soon as possible.

"Speaking of which," he said. "Did any of you younger kids have success in contacting Gennai?"

Three headshakes greeted him. His face fell. Izzy looked at Ken in hopes that he could help.

The Jedi of Kindness shook his head, but smiled hopefully. "Maybe I can try again," he said.

He closed his eyes and calmed his mind to meditate. Everyone and his surroundings slowly faded away until he felt like he was sitting on a cloud. Ken reached out with the Force.

"_Gennai, can you hear me?" _he asked telepathically. _"I need your help." _

Izzy's computer screen flashed with a bright light. Something emerged from the computer surrounded in the light. A second later, it vanished, revealing the figure encased in it.

The figure was tall and wore a white robe with brown marks along the folds. A blue belt wrapped around its waist, tying the robe together. The hood was up, but that only lasted for a second as the figure dropped it to reveal its face. A man with a slim, chiseled face and bright blue eyes smiled. A strand of his brown hair was tied into a rattail in the back.

"Hello, Chosen One," he said.

Ken opened his eyes in shock. "Wow. That was fast."

"Are you Gennai's younger counterpart?" Izzy asked.

The man bowed. "At your service. My previous life told me that you would call for me soon. How can I help?"

Sora stood up and approached him first. "It's nice to meet you, Young Gennai," she said with a smile.

Young Gennai smirked flirtatiously and caressed her cheek down to her jaw. "Well, hello there, Jedi of Love," he said smoothly, licking his lips suggestively. "I'd say you're well-suited for your position."

Sora's cheeks turned as red as her hair as she giggled, growing uncomfortable at his touch.

"HEY!" Tai and Matt shot up, glaring daggers into the man. The Jedi of Courage then turned his ire to his blonde friend, who threw his hands up in surrender.

"That's…." Sora started to say, but her words failed. "Thank you. We were told that when the new Destined Jedi were ready to complete their training, you would supervise their final test."

"Hopefully the test is quick and painless," said Kari.

Young Gennai set his sights on her next, giving her a flirty grin too. "I'll make sure it is for you."

It was TK and Davis' turn to stand up for Kari. "What's that supposed to mean?!" they both growled, wanting to punch this guy dead in the face.

Yolei sighed and smacked her forehead. "Oy vey."

"Can we stay on track here?" Mimi asked. She instantly regretted speaking up as the man turned his flirtatious sights on her next.

"Can't help it," he laughed. "When I see beauty such as yours, I have to appreciate it."

Mimi blushed and giggled happily.

Young Gennai held her hands, rubbing the back with his thumb. "Say, would you be willing to go on a date with me when this is all over?"

This sent Izzy over the top. His face was as red as his hair, but from anger. He struggled to find his voice, but finally put some words together.

"This is si…This is si…" he stuttered, and then shrieked, "This is simply unacceptable!"

Joe's mouth dropped. "What a perv."

Young Gennai rolled his eyes. "Kids these days," he muttered. "No sense of humor." He cleared his throat and spoke with an even tone. "Very well. I am ready for you kids when you are. We'll leave for the Digital World now and administer your test tomorrow morning. Prepare to stay as many days as it takes to complete.

"You'll all start together, which means no one leaves until everyone has completed the training. Understood?"

The five young trainees nodded, but Cody looked a little more concerned than the rest.

"Wait a minute," he said. "What do we tell our parents? If we're gone for more than a day, they'll get worried." The boy looked at his master with worried eyes. "Joe?"

Joe smiled at his young friend and kneeled down his level. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll help you think of something. Maybe a weekend sleepover?" He looked at Tai. "How's that sound? It didn't take us long to finish when we did it."

"Surprisingly," Tai muttered before saying, "We'll just say Kari was having a big sleepover at my place and you guys are all there. I'll tell my mom everything so that if your parents call to ask about you, she's on top of it."

Cody thought about it for a moment, then nodded with a small smile. "Alright."

Izzy typed away on his computer to put in the coordinates to Gennai's house. A few seconds later, the gate was ready on their go.

"The gate is all set, Gennai," he said.

"Very good," the man nodded. "You kids ready?"

"Yes." The group of five Jedi answered in unison.

Tai, Sora, Joe, and Matt looked at their young charges with pride and confidence. They were ready, they could sense it.

"May the Force be with you guys," said Tai. "We could not be more proud of you."

"That's right." Joe nodded. "We have full confidence in you."

"Just be safe," Sora added.

Before Gennai could open the gate, TK stepped forward to say something. His face blushed red looking at Kari, feeling his words disappear inside his throat. He quickly got them back.

"Kari?" he said, scratching his neck nervously to go with a matching smile. "Um…Be careful."

The Jedi of Light smiled back at him and nodded. "Thanks."

"She's in good hands, TK," Davis assured him. "I'll look after her."

TK and Davis shared a knowing look with a nod. It was quick, but enough to pass along the message between them both: The challenge that was given days ago was accepted, and TK wasn't going to back down. At least not until Kari chose.

Gennai concentrated his Force energy to help open the gate. The computer reacted and opened, allowing them to step forward and enter. The gate closed as soon as the last person left, leaving the seven original Jedi alone in the room.

"Good luck, you guys," Tai muttered.

"They're gonna need it," Sora agreed with a nod. Chills shot down her arms. "Especially where they're going."

Matt shoved his hands in his pockets. "While they're away, what do we do in the meantime?" he asked.

"Stay alert," Joe replied. "If Oikawa manipulated Ken from the sidelines this whole time, and was able to infiltrate TK's dreams, we need to be ready for anything. We are dealing with an enemy that could be anywhere."

Everyone look at each other and nodded in agreement. That was really all they could do right now. No other monster sightings had been reported since the Christmas Eve attack for now. The calm before the storm.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Izzy. "Maybe this guy's up to something we don't know about yet. What if TK was just the first attempt in some grander scheme?"

Tai agreed. "Like TK's mom said, be extra careful. We don't know when or where this guy could strike next."

* * *

In Shibuya, a boy sat alone on the swings, gently rocking back and forth. He watched a group of kids joyously play soccer nearby with a sad look. It must be nice, he thought, to have a group of friends to play with.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw someone swinging alongside him. The boy turned to his left. A figure dressed in a long blue trench coat and a big blue hat swung sadly as well. The boy couldn't help but sympathize with him.

"Hi, mister," he said in a small voice. "You alone too?"

The figure glanced at the little fellow and smiled. He reached out a hand.

"Come with me," he said. "After today, you will never be alone again."

* * *

**What does Oikawa have in mind? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**A lot going on in this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Before I present more of my thoughts, here is your reward for helping me reach 200 reviews. **

**XXXXX**

_Tai and Joe moved slowly up the ramp as a portal began to open between the two main structures of the Big Sight. Meiko stood in front of it, watching up in awe as the opening got bigger and wider. _

_"The time has come for the Digital World to be rebooted," the boys heard her say. "Soon, King Drasil will rise and take control of a world infected by the pestilence of the Jedi." _

_"Stop, Meiko!" Tai shouted. _

_The girl turned on her heels and saw the two boys standing several feet away from her, but close enough to see the whites of their eyes. She smirked at them. _

_"It's too late, you fools," she snickered. "The reboot is almost complete. Soon, the Digital World will be reset and King Drasil will take control. There is nothing you can do about it."_

_ XXXXX_

_"We can help you, Mei-Mei," Mimi warmly said. "Like I told you, we're in this together. But you have to let us in." _

_Between sobs, Meiko managed to sputter out, "Just kill me. Kill me before I kill someone else. Please." _

_"Don't say that!" Mimi shook her to snap her out of it. "Don't you ever say that! I won't do it." _

_When Meiko looked up, Mimi felt a chill run down her spine. The girl's brown eyes had now changed into the deranged yellow and red again. _

_"Kill me," she hissed before slogging a punch to Mimi's face._

_ XXXX_

_Everything froze. _

_Izzy's eyes widened as his breath left him in ragged gasps. Meiko stood in front of him with an evil smile on her face, her yellow and red eyes glimmering with darkness. _

_Izzy gazed down. Her lightsaber was shoved into his stomach. The tip poked out of his back as he gazed in surprise. _

_"Game over." Meiko sneered before deactivating her lightsaber. _

_Izzy pressed his hands against his stomach. Everything was slowly fading away. His eyes rolled back in his head as he lost the will to stand up. He collapsed to his knees and fell to the ground on his back._

_ XXXX_

_"Tai–" Izzy groaned weakly, his eyes starting to close. _

_"No! Don't go to sleep! Don't go to sleep!" Tai hyperventilated, feeling tears start to slip down his cheeks. He shook Izzy to snap him out of it. "Don't you dare close your eyes, buddy!" _

_Mimi sobbed loudly into Joe's shirt, thinking that Izzy was surely going to die. He comforted her the best he could, but was also having a hard time keeping it together. Kari, TK, and Matt watched helplessly. _

_A final low gasp escaped Izzy's mouth. His eyes closed one last time and his head tilted to the right. Izzy's arms relaxed and rested against the ground with his palms facing up. His body stopped moving. _

_"Izzy?" Tai lightly shook him, his emotions becoming lodged in his throat. Tears blinded his vision. "IZZY! NO, PLEASE!" _

_Kari sobbed into TK's shoulder. He wrapped her in a comforting hug, but his own tears started falling. What started as him trying to comfort her had turned into them helping each other. Joe started to cry too. _

_"COME BACK! IT'S NOT FAIR!"_

_XXXXX_

**Wow! What is going to come next in ROTI? That is a question for another day. Things are starting to wind down for now in ATOE. How will the younger kids handle their final test? Find out next week.**

**Kizuna is coming out July 7! Yay! Meant to post something about that last week but forgot. I have actually finished a rough draft of what I'm going to do, but want to wait for the movie to come out before adding in other stuff. I can honestly say you guys are going to love my version of Kizuna once it comes out roughly next April or May. **

**As always, review and subscribe if you have not done so yet. I'll have another preview for ROTI next week, but a smaller one. If you all want a bigger one, let's get to 250 reviews in the near future if you liked this one. **

**See you guys next week. **


	37. The Dark Forest

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: All that and more ;-) **

**Ackbarfan5556: We talked about this in private. Oikawa is a snake measuring his prey. He's just prodding to see where everyone is at mentally. I don't see how that would have added to it. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Huh? **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thank you, Greymon, as always. Happy belated May the 4th. Glad you liked it. **

**Emoni: Thank you for the review. I don't know anything about that series, so I am going to have to decline that. Sorry (sweat drop). **

**Thank you Emperor Serperior for the favorite. You may not always review, but you always let me know what you think. Big appreciation for you. **

* * *

**Hey, guys. Hope you are all well. I've got good news and I've got bad news. The good news: I am now over 10k views while the story is active. First time that has ever happened to me, so a big thanks to all of you. The bad news: Kizuna's DVD release in at least the U.S., where I am, is pushed back again X-l. Just put it online why don't they! *Ahem*. Pardon me. Let's get to some good stuff. **

**The younger Destined Jedi complete their final test, and I am pushing the boundaries on what the Dark Forest is capable of from the first story. ****I must warn you though, there will be some stuff in here that is going to be a little much for some people. Just a fair warning so that you don't say "Why didn't you warn us before this, MadDog?!" when you get to it. **

**Enjoy, all.**

* * *

"Come on, baby. Be good to Daddy." Tai muttered, pressing the buttons on his PlayStation 2 controller. The character on the screen jumped and dodged every attack from the villain, some at the last second.

After the younger kids left for the Digital World, the older Jedi split up to tell their cover story to the families. Tai didn't have any trouble at the Motomiya house. Jun didn't ask her usual million questions a second surprisingly. It was a little off, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Joe told Cody's mother and grandfather, and they understood. Mrs. Hida was surprised her son didn't tell her himself that he was going to a sleepover, but the Jedi of Reliability explained that Cody must have forgotten and so he asked Joe to do it. Matt and Sora had little trouble with Ken and Yolei's families. Mrs. Ichijouji was so happy to hear that her son was sleeping over at a friend's house.

Mrs. Kamiya walked in from the laundry room, a basket in her arms. She smiled seeing her son playing his video games. Tai told her what Kari and the others were doing, as well as the cover story that they came up with. The woman was nervous about what Kari would be going through, but she had full confidence in her children.

"Tai, it's almost dinner," she said. "Want me to make you something?"

"That's okay, Mom," Tai replied, not looking away from his game. "I'm not hungry."

His mother put the laundry basket down and sat beside him on the couch. Over the fourteen years she had raised her son, she learned to know when he was nervous about something. She knew he was worried about Kari.

"Tai, pause the game."

The Jedi of Courage pressed the 'pause' button and looked at his mother. Mrs. Kamiya sighed and continued.

"What is it that Kari is going into?" she asked, looking him straight in the eyes with all her seriousness. "What is this place you have sent her to?"

Tai's face paled. His blood felt like ice water. Memories of what it was like for him in the forest came back. That day, he had to overcome the one thing he was most ashamed about: Kari almost dying under his watch. It was the hardest thing for him to go through, but he came out of it a stronger person and a wiser leader.

"She is going to this place where she'll face the darkness within her," he said. "The point of this is for someone to face their worst experiences so that they can overcome them. She'll officially become a Destined Jedi if she completes the test. I had to deal with that three years ago, and I'm worried that Kari is not ready for it."

His mother soaked all of this in. There were still a lot of things Tai had never told her about his adventures. This must have been one of those things. The woman worried for her daughter's safety, but trusted Tai enough to know what he was doing by sending her to this place.

"I see," she finally said. "Have faith in your sister, Tai. She's like you more than you realize. She'll be fine."

Tai gave his mother a small, nervous smile, then nodded. "I think so too."

_Ring! _

Mrs. Kamiya shot up from the couch to answer the telephone.

"Hello?" she said. "Mrs. Ichijouji. Hello." An eyebrow cocked up. "You want to speak to Ken? Okay, let me check."

Tai shook his head, pointing to Kari's room. His mother nodded, seeming like she understood what he wanted her to say.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Ichijouji. Ken can't come to the phone right now because the kids are…uh…" Mrs. Kamiya looked at Tai for help.

Tai mimed something, but she couldn't tell what it was.

"They're…uh…"

He slapped a hand to his forehead, then tried again. He dealt imaginary cards and then made hand signals she had a hard time interpreting. She made the best guess they could.

"They're playing cards right now. What game? Oh, they're playing –"

Tai made the same hand signals again, growing more animated and deliberate to prove his point. He thrust his hand forward and then put them together to make a swimming motion.

"They're playing 'Go Fish'?"

Tai nodded.

Mrs. Kamiya smiled and answered confidently. "Yes, the kids are playing an intense round of 'Go Fish' right now. They didn't want to be interrupted. Ken said that he would call you later when he got the chance…Okay, I will. Have a nice night."

The Jedi of Courage sighed heavily and slumped back on the couch as his mother hung up the phone.

"You'd be a terrible charades player. You know that, Mom?"

"Hey, at least I got it right." Mrs. Kamiya shot back, sitting beside her son once again. "How long is this test going to take?"

"Hopefully not long," replied Tai. "Us older kids got it done in less than a day when we did it. I think they'll all be back tomorrow. No big deal."

"You better be right, Tai."

* * *

The sound of silence blanketed the air in a soundless void. As if all the sound in the world had vanished, leaving one with the feeling of going deaf. The crystals along the pathway gave some light to the otherwise dark and ominous cave. A room filled with them lit up like a Christmas tree.

The Force flowed through Ken like a comforting river through his bloodstream as he sat with his legs crossed. His slow breathing allowed more of the life energy to come and go as it pleased. Ken felt his mind shut down and concentrate on the task at hand. His eyes were shut tight in concentration.

The small metal parts and other pieces important to construct a lightsaber floated in the air in front of him. A jagged amethyst crystal floated along with them, taking its place in the crystal energy chamber. His hands guided their every move so that they fit in the right position based on the diagram Gennai had given him.

Normally, it would take days or even a month to fully construct a lightsaber, but Young Gennai had everything ready upon his arrival. His choice of crystals were cut just right, and the parts were already there for him. All Ken had to do was memorize the design on the diagram and he would be set.

The power cells fell into the pommel with ease. Every little part falling into place to connect the pommel with the top, providing a space for the crystal to settle into. The shaft of the blade covered the mechanical parts inside. Excitement bubbled up in Ken's stomach. He was almost finished. But he kept his mind silent and concentrated only on the moment at hand.

Ken adjusted the crystal so that it was turned in the right position before finally connecting the hilt. The newly-completed lightsaber hovered in the air until it pointed upward. The Jedi of Kindness opened his eyes and watched the blade float for a second, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment filling him.

He reached his hand out to take the cylindrical, electrum-plated alloy hilt in his grip. The blade itself was twenty-eight centimeters long and fit comfortably in his hand. Gold rings hung around the hilt and graced the bottom. The activation switch was also plated with gold. Ken pressed the button with his thumb and a purple blade shot out from the emitter.

The lightsaber hummed lowly, filling the cave with its magnificent sound. Ken lightly waved it around to test the feel of the hilt. The balance was perfect for him: Not too light, but not too heavy either. It was just right.

He chose purple as the color for his new lightsaber to reflect the balance of light and darkness within him. He was not going to shy away from acknowledging the Emperor's presence anymore. It was something he would deal with for perhaps the rest of his life. Everyone had been surprised with his choice, but understood why once he explained to them.

Young Gennai smiled from the mouth of the cave.

"Congratulations, Ken. You have now constructed your new lightsaber," he said. "How's the feel?"

Ken beamed. "It's perfect."

"I'm glad. That means you constructed it well." Young Gennai patted him on the shoulder. "May it protect you forevermore."

"It will." Ken bit his lip. "Um, Gennai, may I ask a question?"

"Sure. Ask away."

"The purple lightsaber is supposed to symbolize the balance between darkness and light, right?"

Young Gennai nodded.

"Well," Ken struggled to say this in the way he meant for it to be. Then it came to him. Hopefully it sounded right. "I still have this darkness inside of me that threatens to split me apart."

Tears fell from Ken's eyes as he said, "Even when I stopped being the Emperor, I never truly escaped from his grip on my heart. He's there. Always there. I can hear his voice in my head. What if I give in to my anger and allow him to completely take me over sometimes? What if he never lets go?"

Young Gennai took hold of his shoulder and gave it a firm, reassuring shake. The man's soft, warm smile reminded Ken of Matt. He instantly felt he could trust him.

"Ken, you have nothing to worry about," Gennai said. "There's a difference between who you were as the Digimon Emperor and who you are now."

Ken cocked an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"You have friends who will always be there to bring you back, a mentor whom you can always go to for any advice," Gennai put a hand on his heart, "and you have me. I'll always be here to help you when you need it. My previous life had to help Matt a lot too."

"But my anger –"

"Anger can be a powerful weapon when used correctly. You just have to be careful that it doesn't consume your whole heart and mind. Once you set down that path, there is no coming back from the consequences."

Ken took a breath and smiled. These were the answers he had sought after for so long. Now he knew the truth.

"I see," he replied. "Thanks, Gennai."

The man smiled back and patted the boy's shoulder. "Good boy." A dark shadow cast itself over his eyes. "Now it's time to put that courage of yours to the test. The final test before you can truly call yourself a Jedi."

Chills ran down Ken's body seeing the dark look on Gennai's face. Just what was this test? He was worried he was going to find out the hard way.

"What is it?" he asked nervously.

Gennai smirked. "You'll find out…_tomorrow morning."_

* * *

The wind swirled ominously through the trees, sounding like the cries of a wounded warrior desperately calling for help. Tall birch trees shot up hundreds of feet into the air, blotting out any trace of sunlight if there was any in the dark, early morning sky. The forest only got darker as the path went further along. The birch trees eventually turned into thick oak trees with roots that strung along the path.

The five young Destined Jedi swallowed lumps of fear the size of grapefruits as they eyed their respective paths. Each led to a different part of the forest, where they would find who knows what along the way. A fresh blanket of snow covered the ground, blending in with the fog that rolled like ocean waves. The dark side of the Force was strong in here.

"W-What is this, Gennai?" Yolei asked in a shaky voice. She was trying hard to keep her composure, but the darkness and fear of the unknown paralyzed her.

Young Gennai chuckled. "Hope you kids aren't scared of the dark," he joked. "This is where you will face your final test. This will be the most difficult thing any of you have ever faced in your lives."

Cody's small body shook like a leaf. His knees buckled, wanting to come together, but he kept a brave face to cover it.

"I thought I stopped being afraid of the dark when I was seven," he said in an equally shaky voice. "But now I'm not so sure. This place…it's evil."

"You're right, Cody. It is evil. That's why it is known throughout the Digital World as the Dark Forest," said Gennai.

Davis, Ken, and Kari kept largely stone faces, though Kari felt physically ill by how much darkness there was in this area. She had never felt something so dark and suffocating before.

Davis bit his lip. "Okay. Now that we're here, what do we do?" he asked.

A crow sat up on a branch of a tree in front of them. Without warning, it let out a loud screech from its beak.

"AHHH!" Yolei shrieked, startled by the suddenness of the sound. Everyone else felt shivers go down their arms, their fear and tension rising with every second.

Young Gennai paid the crow no mind as he continued talking like it wasn't there. "In order to be a complete Jedi, you must be of sound body, mind, and soul," he said in a low voice. "This is a trial of that soul. In the forest, you will find no dangerous creatures. Instead, you will face something even more challenging."

"What?" Davis asked.

The man looked at each individual Destined Jedi, surveying them up and down, reading their thoughts and feelings. He could smell the fear and apprehension on them like a stinking odor. A small smirk rose up his face.

"Yourself," he said. "We all have memories, feelings, emotions, and fears that hold us back. Things that have happened to us we would like to forget, but weigh heavily on our subconscious. To be a good Jedi, you must be able to go into any situation and get the job done.

"Before you go in, beware––you could just lose yourselves along the way. You will find things in there that will try to break your spirit and resolve. No matter what you see, no matter what you hear, you must find the courage within yourself to push on through. Only then will your test be completed."

The five Jedi nodded, their eyes focused straight ahead at what awaited them. The darkness beckoned them to come in and play its game. They stood paralyzed with fear, worried about what they might see.

Davis pushed his hair back and took a step forward. He swallowed the fear in his throat once again as he walked to the path in the middle.

"Here goes," he said, stepping on the path to take the plunge. He walked until he disappeared from sight, the mist wrapping him in its cold embrace.

Ken decided to be next, his new lightsaber resting on the new hook attached to his left hip. "Good luck, you guys," he said, disappearing into the mist on the path to the right of Davis'.

Kari followed without another word. Cody and Yolei looked at each other and nodded. The small boy took the plunge next and walked down the path to the left of the one Davis took. Yolei took the one to the left of his.

Young Gennai now stood alone at the entrance to the forest. A nervous smile played on his lips. He was confident that this group of kids would succeed, but he worried about the toll it would take on their mental state.

"Good luck, kids," he muttered.

* * *

Davis stepped trepidly down the path, keeping his guard up in case anything tried to get him. He dodged low-hanging branches from the birch trees until he finally cleared them. The goggle-headed leader stood in place as he stared in the distance.

The forest was even darker up ahead, beckoning him with the fog that swirled on the ground. Davis swallowed his fear and moved forward. The wind continued to moan through the trees, woodpeckers pecked wood, and crows called out into the darkness.

"_Oh, the weather outside is frightful,_" Davis sang to himself, hoping a song would help his spirits. _"But the fire is so delightful. And since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." _

The snow crunched under his footsteps. Davis focused on the comforting sound to try and distract him from the other frightening sounds that surrounded him. He stopped the song, realizing it wasn't working. His awareness was at its highest point as he checked every single blind spot in his vision. Nothing was going to sneak up on him.

Suddenly, it got so dark that Davis could not see anything around him. He couldn't even make out the snow under his feet. His lightsaber shot out, serving as a torch through the darkness. The humming sound put Davis at ease. If something did try to come after him, he had his lightsaber ready to defend himself.

"DAVIS!" a scream shot out of the dark.

The boy jumped back in fright, almost dropping his lightsaber. He took deep breaths to settle himself as he looked in the direction where the scream came from.

"HELP!" Another voice screamed. It sounded a lot like Cody.

Davis' heart stopped. "I'm coming!" he cried, beaming down the path with his Force-enhanced speed. Fear gripped his heart as he worried about what was happening to his friends right now.

Davis jumped over a tree root and looked around. It was pitch black. Mist surrounded him, obscuring everything else. There was nothing there to suggest an emergency. Maybe the forest was playing tricks on him like Gennai had warned. He held up his lightsaber.

Mangled bodies lay strung across the ground. One had a leg severed at the knee. Another had an arm lay separated from the bicep. The gore was sickening to look at. When Davis shined his lightsaber on their faces, he screamed like a banshee and jumped back against a tree. His heart pounded violently as it threatened to explode in his chest.

The five members of his squad lay dead in various positions. TK laid on his back against a tree, a hole in his chest from where a lightsaber had been driven through. Cody was on his stomach, his leg cut off at the knee. Ken's right arm lay inches from his corpse.

Yolei and Kari looked even worse. The lavender-haired girl was slashed at the neck, covered in blood and exposing the bone under her jugular. Her head hung on to her shoulders by a small bit of skin and cartilage at the back, making her almost decapitated. The sight of Kari was really what frightened Davis. The Jedi of Light looked as if she had been raped before she was killed. Blood caked her inner thighs, her lower clothes were gone, and bruises plastered themselves all over on her neck.

Davis' stomach heaved as he turned away from the scene. Vomit shot out of his mouth and splattered the snow with the contents of his stomach. Pieces of rice and a brownish liquid from consumed miso soup colored the pure white ground. He couldn't bring himself to look at the grotesque sight for one more second. It was too horrible. Tears fell down his face. He had failed everyone. As the leader, it was his job to protect everyone, and he couldn't do it.

"_Failure! Worthless! Joke!" _Angry voices hissed in his ears from all directions.

"No! Stop!" Davis shouted, covering his ears to block them out. It did little good as the voices continued screaming. He dropped to his knees, curling his head down to the ground.

"_Failure!" _

"Stop it!"

"_Murderer!" _

Davis couldn't take it anymore. "STOP!" he shrieked to the heavens above. "I DID NOT FAIL! EVERYONE TRUSTED ME TO BE THE LEADER BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED IN ME! THIS IS A VISION! IT'S NOT REAL!"

The voices stopped. The bodies vanished with the wind as if they had turned to dust. That was when Davis realized they were never even there to begin with. The forest was testing any lingering feelings of insecurity with his leadership position. Did he pass the test?

The mist disappeared around him, opening up a pathway that led to a lighter part of the forest. Davis smiled. Perhaps that meant he did. As the leader, it was his responsibility to look after everyone and make sure they were safe. It was more than just wearing the goggles and being fearless in battle.

"_You have learned well, Davis," _a familiar, warm voice whispered among the trees.

"Tai?" the boy called out. He shook his head. That could not have been Tai. He listened closely as the voice spoke again.

"_Be the leader I know you can be. Everyone has your back. I have your back." _

It was Young Gennai talking to him. A warm feeling filled Davis' heart as he smiled. Tai and the others were counting on him, and he would never fail them. Using that thought, he moved to the lighter part of the forest, having successfully completed his test.

* * *

Cody walked nonchalantly through the forest path. It wasn't as scary as he had thought: Just like going to the bathroom in the dark. The wind and snow weren't frightening to him. He allowed a small smile to stretch across his face. It was an easy walkthrough. Nothing to worry about.

At nine-years-old, Cody liked to think he was past all the stages most little boys go through. He hardly ever wet the bed, and not once since he got over the dream of being stuck underwater a few months ago; he wasn't afraid to sleep by himself; he didn't need his grandfather to walk him to the bathroom in the middle of the night anymore. He also did not sleep with a stuffed animal or blanket anymore either. Cody was becoming a mature young man for his age, and he was going to prove it by getting through this forest no problem.

A twig snapped close by. He jumped slightly, his breath cutting off to listen for any unfamiliar sounds. Nothing happened. Cody looked down under his feet and saw that the offending twig was under his foot. He chuckled in relief. There was nothing to be scared of. He kept on going.

Mist surrounded him as he entered the darkest part of the forest. He switched on his lightsaber to provide light. The humming eased his troubled mind like a security blanket. With this saber, nothing could harm him.

_BANG! _

A gunshot rang out. Cody ducked down to avoid the bullet, burying his face into the dirt ground, but nothing came. Suddenly the sounds of frantic people and incoherent shouts echoed through the forest.

The boy looked up. What he saw made his jaw drop. A vision of people running in all directions appeared before him. Police officers ran to the middle of the street. A feeling of foreboding gripped Cody's heart as he watched.

"_Officer down! Officer down! Get the paramedics here now!" _an officer shouted into his radio.

Cody moved forward to see who the injured officer was. No one noticed him or told him to stay back as he came towards the gathering of officers. As Cody pushed his way through the crowd, he noticed the pool of blood first. The crimson liquid poured out of an exit wound through the side of the man's temple. Then he got a look at his face.

Cody screamed and dropped to the ground. His lightsaber skittered away from him as he backed away from the scene breathing raggedly. His eyes were wide as dinner plates, like he had seen a ghost.

The fallen officer…was his father.

Somehow, Cody found the strength to stand up on his feet again. He swayed like a sleepwalker for four steps until he finally broke into a sprint.

"FATHER!" he screamed, rushing to the man's side. The boy pressed his hands into the man's side and shook him. "WAKE UP! DADDY, WAKE UP!"

The officer did not move. Tears blinded Cody's vision. He tried in vain several more times, but nothing worked. A bloodcurdling yell of anguish erupted from Cody's mouth as the vision disappeared around him.

Cody sobbed into his knees, not wanting to relive that horrible day. He was not around to see it, but he remembered what it felt like hearing the news. His father. His hero. The man who he revered as this monolithic deity of morality and justness. He was gone.

"_Cody, it's okay to let go." _A soft, warm voice whispered into his ear.

But he couldn't let go. Ever since Cody was six, when his father died, he took it upon himself to look after his mother and be the man of the house. It was a promise he had made to his father. Now, he was not sure if that was possible.

Ever since he became a Destined Jedi back in April, Cody found himself missing his father even more by the day. He wanted someone that he could talk to about his feelings, normal things that boys his age talked about, and goof off with. He wanted to be a normal nine-year-old boy. Joe was a good friend to talk to, but the Jedi of Reliability was nowhere close to filling the void his father left.

It scared him. Did this mean he would have to forget about his father? Would his father's memory mean nothing if he allowed himself to move on? His body shook from guilt. He could never forget his father. He was the greatest man he had ever known. The one he strived to be like. What was the point of living his life if he was going to make his own choices from now on? Choices that may end up being different from what his father would have chosen?

Cody cried in shame.

"_You should not carry this weight on your shoulders anymore, young one. Your father would not want this for you." _

The boy sniffled hearing the voice again.

"Who are you? What are you?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"_Let go. Let go." _

"I can't. I'll never forget the death of my father."

"_Letting go does not mean forgetting," _said the voice. "_Letting go means allowing yourself to grow. Each of us has a destiny; we just have to find out what it is. Fate will lead you to it, but only if you allow yourself permission to let go."_

Cody gasped. Those words. That was the same thing that Joe and his grandfather told him long ago. How could he have forgotten that? He realized now what he had been doing: Trying to direct fate in a completely different direction from where it wanted to go. Cody had been trying to replicate Hiroki Hida instead of trying to be Cody Hida.

"I see now," he muttered, wiping his tears away. "I just have to be me. Cody." He looked up at the sky. "Father, wherever you are, give me the wisdom and strength to be who I am meant to be. Help me learn to let go and move forward."

The mist vanished from the path ahead of him, allowing him passage through. His test was now complete. The young boy smiled to himself before walking down that path.

"_Thank you…Father."_

* * *

Yolei swallowed hard to keep her fear in control. Her legs flew over the path, running as fast as she could. Every little sound made her jump, only pushing her to run faster. This was the scariest place she had ever been in, and wanted to get out of there.

After running another fifty feet, Yolei no longer felt the dark presence that she thought was stalking her. She bent over to catch her breath, her lungs screaming for air.

This was insane! How was she supposed to face whatever darkness was inside of her? What was she supposed to find? The Jedi of Love and Sincerity scanned the path up ahead for any clue.

Nothing.

'_Alright, Yolei. Stay calm,' _she told herself, getting her breathing back under control. _'Gennai said there were no creatures in this forest. There's nothing to be afraid of.' _

The forest got darker the further Yolei walked. Once again, her fear spiked to near-dangerous levels. It was so dark. Who knew what lurked behind the trees. Yolei's breathing became more ragged and out of control. Her body shook like a leaf as the fog drifted along the ground like a silent assassin waiting to strike.

Something was near. Yolei slowly backed up the way she came. Her head spun around in search of this invisible presence, fingers rising up to her mouth to chew on her nails. Tree limbs rattled as the wind blew wildly through them.

A long, spiny thing touched her back.

Yolei screamed with all the power in her lungs and took off down the path blindly. Snow flew up behind her like she was a snowmobile. She did not care where she ran, only if it was far away from where she was.

Trees blew by as the path wound and turned into an even darker part of the forest. The Jedi of Love and Sincerity's eyes were squeezed shut so she didn't notice the low-hanging branch speeding up to meet her face.

_SMACK! _

Yolei was pushed down onto her back, her glasses slipping off her face. Blood dripped down from her nostrils, staining the snow under her. Yolei was disoriented for a few seconds until she got her bearings back. She stood up, wiping the blood from her face.

'_Where am I?' _she wondered.

The trees were taller, thicker, and more intimidating. Yolei was surrounded by darkness so thick it was like a suffocating blanket. The wind howled through the branches. She couldn't take it anymore.

"DAVIS? CODY?" she cried, hoping one of her friends was close enough to hear her. "KARI?" In a weak voice, she added, "Ken?"

No answer graced her ears. Yolei was all alone. She curled up into a ball and hugged her knees in tight. She hated being alone. It made her feel isolated and like she had no friends.

Ever since she was little, she was looked at as the black sheep of the family: unheard, forgotten, and an embarrassment to the Inoue name. All she wanted was some recognition from her family and peers. Even after Ken had kidnapped her, things were not instantly better with her family. It was a long struggle.

The sound of footsteps up ahead caught her attention. Yolei nearly jumped out of her skin. What was it? She calmed her mind and used the Force to find out who or what it was.

No clear answer. So, she looked down the path she heard the footsteps coming from. A figure with auburn hair similar to Sora's walked away with its back turned to her. Yolei's eyes widened. It was Sora!

"Sora!" she cried, running after the figure. "Wait! Help me! I'm lost."

But Sora seemed to be getting further and further away from Yolei with every step that she took. Taunting voices whispered through the trees, laughing at her struggle to catch up.

Yolei followed without any regard for where she was. Mist surrounded her, the voices got louder and more cruel with their words. The girl then found herself in the middle of a clearing. Sora was nowhere to be found. Had Yolei seen a ghost?

The mist parted to reveal a stunning sight. Yolei saw her family, her friends, and Sora all standing before her with their arms crossed. Their eyes were narrowed angrily at her.

"What's going on?" she said. "What are you all doing here?"

"Oh, put a cork in it, Four Eyes! You're so annoying!" Davis growled. "You're nothing but an embarrassment to the Order."

The other four Jedi nodded in agreement.

Yolei was stunned and hurt by the accusation. She chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"That's…" she choked, "That's not true. I've done my part to help out."

"Help?" Kari laughed in an incredulous voice. "Yolei, the only thing you did was nearly get Sora and Mimi killed with your recklessness. I don't know how they can stand to look at you anymore. You have done nothing actually useful since you became a Destined Jedi."

"Why did they even choose you?" Cody shot. "You should never have become a Destined Jedi."

"Hold on," Ken protested, much to Yolei's relief. He swung an arm around her shoulders. "I don't think that's fair. Everyone's forgetting one thing."

Yolei could kiss that boy. She hugged Ken as her insecurities ran high. Angry tears splashed on her cheeks as she yelled at the others, "Hear that? Ken doesn't think I'm useless."

"Au contraire, maggot. We only keep you around because we feel sorry for you. The occasional punching bag. Eventually when we get tired of you that's when we'll toss you aside. That's your role in this group."

Yolei could feel her world be torn apart as those words reached her ears. She pulled away and watched in horror as Ken morphed into the Digimon Emperor. His malicious laughter rang through the sky as the others joined him.

The area surrounding her shrank to where there was only enough room for everyone to stand. Yolei hurried to back away, but was stopped by an invisible wall. Her back scrunched against the invisible wall while everyone surrounded her. They too now wore similar clothing as the Digimon Emperor.

Ken skulked towards her menacingly, finishing his thought. "I wouldn't have you on my team even if you were the last person on earth. You're a pathetic excuse of a Destined Jedi, of a human being to be more precise."

"No!" she retaliated. "That's not true!"

Sora kicked Yolei on her thigh and pressed her face against her ear just as fast. "Nothing you've done has helped this team grow. Should have left me for dead, Yolei, because you're about to meet your maker."

Davis activated his lightsaber and pointed it towards Yolei's neck. "Where should I start?"

"Gut her like a filthy pig." Cody sneered.

"Yes!" Kari joined in. "From her belly button to her neck. Do it!"

Yolei looked at the visions of her family, pleading for their help. None of them stepped forward to help her. She scrunched her eyes closed, trying to avoid the inevitable.

"This isn't real!" she yelled. "Gennai said this was not real!"

Ken yanked her hair so that her neck contorted. Yolei screamed in pain.

A sick smile grew as he seductively spoke into her ear. "If it's not real, why can you feel this?" He licked her cheek.

Yolei kicked and screamed trying to escape. "I'm not a black sheep! I've made mistakes just like everybody else, but I do matter to this team!"

"Gut her!" Kari snarled. Cody and Sora joined in, chanting with sadistic delight as Davis and Ken pointed their sabers right at Yolei.

"NOOOO!"

All of Yolei's Force energy came out of her body as an energy field. Everything around her was blown away like an atomic bomb went off. The mist cleared up as tree bark and branches flew in all directions. The destruction ended after ten seconds, feeling like ten hours.

Yolei fell on her butt, exhausted from expanding all that energy. Her tormentors were nowhere to be found. With them gone, she finally allowed herself to let all of her emotions out from that experience.

Big, fat tears spilled from her eyes as she sobbed. Maybe everyone did hate her. Her family would not even help her. She couldn't necessarily blame them; she had treated them horribly for so long, but thought it to be the only way to get attention. Being the youngest of four, with three older siblings that shined brighter than her, was the hardest thing to live with.

"_Yolei, what's wrong?" _

The lavender-haired girl stopped crying and looked up. To her surprise, her family stood around her once again. This time, they were smiling and looking down with sympathy. Visions of Sora and Mimi also appeared with them.

"_What are you laying down for, lazy butt?" _Mantarou asked with a teasing smile. _"Get up. You still have a job to do." _

Momoe and Chizuru stuck their hands out for their sister.

"_Come on, Yolei,_" said the older sister. _"You can do it." _

"You guys," Yolei gasped, shocked by what she was seeing. She reached out for her sisters' hands and allowed them to pull her up. "What is all this?"

Sora smiled. _"Your fear of everyone rejecting you is what's keeping you from growing, Yolei." _

"_That's right," _Mimi added. _"I never blamed you for what happened when Dokugumon hurt me. Push all your fears away. We love you for who you are." _

"R-Really?"

Everyone surrounding her nodded collectively. A smile grew on Yolei's lips. She may have seemed like a self-confident person, but she actually was immensely insecure. Being the youngest of four was not easy. She always thought she would be rejected if she tried to be herself instead of what her family wanted her to be.

"Thank you," she said, eyeing each person around. "All of you."

"_Never forget that we love you for who you are, Yolei," _her mother said.

"I won't forget, Mom."

The seven visions disappeared, along with the mist. A path up ahead led to a lighter part of the forest. She did it. Yolei had finally conquered the demons inside of her after so long. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her back. All that was holding her back and stopping her from growing was finally put aside. It would take a lot of work, but Yolei was ready for the challenge that laid ahead.

With newfound confidence, she marched up the path with a spring in her step.

"_Hey, let's go! Hey, let's go!" _she sang while she walked. "_I'm happy as can be. Let's go walking, you and me. Ready, set, come on. Let's go."_

* * *

_Cough! Cough! Cough! _

"You alright there, Noriko?" A boy asked.

Noriko Kawada was thankful her mask stopped her germs from hitting someone else. The ten-year-old girl practically had to wear it every day in the cold months due to her constantly getting sick.

She was born with a weak immune system, which meant many hospital trips when she was little and not a lot of time in school. A lot of the other kids avoided her. They thought they were going to contract whatever illness she had just being around her.

She smiled at her friends behind her mask.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. "I have to go. See you guys later."

"Bye." The two boys waved and left.

As Noriko turned to leave, she saw a mysterious woman dressed in red without a coat on. Her glove-clad hand carried a spinning pinwheel in front of her face. A small smirk graced the woman's lips, almost like she was beckoning the girl to come to her.

"Poor little girl," the woman said in an empathetic tone. It sounded like she was talking to herself, but she watched Noriko the entire time behind her dark sunglasses. "Always kept at a distance. I wonder what would happen if she were given the power to overcome all that."

She walked into an alleyway to her left. Noriko couldn't help but feel as if she was talking to her directly. She had to know more. The girl followed the mysterious woman into the alley.

Daigo Nishijima watched from across the street as Noriko disappeared into the crevice between the two buildings. He cocked an eyebrow. Sources told him there had been a kidnapping yesterday in Shibuya, as well as other parts of the city, so he was extra concerned.

The young man snuck over to the entrance to the alleyway, hiding behind a concrete column belonging to the building to his right. He peeked inside to watch the events unfold.

The woman and the girl suddenly vanished.

Daigo gasped, hastily pulling out a notepad and writing down what he just saw. He darted for the nearest telephone booth and dialed the number.

"Come on. Come on," he urged as the phone rang. "Be there. Be there."

The line was picked up.

"_Hello?" _

"Hime? Hime, we've got trouble here in River City."

* * *

**With a capital 'T' and that rhymes with 'P' and that stands for 'pool'. What awaits the Destined Jedi next in the forest? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**I loved writing this chapter so much just to push how far I could go in terms of the darkness. ****Hope you all enjoyed that. The songs don't belong to me. Yolei's song is the Fox dub's version of 'Sanpo' from My Neighbor Totoro. And of course Daigo was referencing "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man. **

**Got nothing really much else to say this week other than school is wrapping up for me, which means I am free to continue writing all summer. The day of the last chapter will be either June 13 or the 20th, so gives you all something to look forward to. This whole COVID thing has not affected my updates at least while Psi and Kizuna have :-( **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe if you have not. I love hearing your guys' thoughts on how I am doing so keep 'em coming. **

**See you all next week with even more darkness in the forest ;-) **


	38. Reflection

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Me too. It was a lot of fun to write. **

**Ackbarfan5556: You'll find out soon ;-) **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Glad I made you happy, Greymon :-) Yup, you hit the nail right on the head with all that. I look forward to your analysis each week. **

**Special shoutout to Marcos2018 for the favorite and follow. Thanks.**

* * *

**Hey, guys. Hope you are all doing well this week. School is finally over for me! Yay! It feels so good to be done for the year after all that has happened the last two months. I'm able to fully concentrate on ending the story, which I am so excited about getting to. I know you all are anxious to see the epic conclusion, but we still have four chapters to go from this one. **

**So now we head back to the Dark Forest, where Kari and Ken are about to meet their challenges. With Ken, I'm trying something a little different than I have done in the past. There is also the first appearance of someone I know many of you have been anxious to meet. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Kari muttered, trying to keep her fear to a minimum as she made her way down the dark path. The mist strung along the ground like a wave of tiny ghosts and the trees grew larger and darker the further she walked.

She had heard the stories from Tai about his experience in the dark forest, but actually living it and fearing the unknown of what she would find was something she never could have anticipated. The Jedi of Light knew that all she had to do was keep her head and she would be fine. If only her brother was there with her. Someone, at least.

'_How did Tai and the others do this?' _she asked herself.

The ever-pressing darkness thickened, sucking her energy away until she felt tired and weary with every step. Part of Kari wanted to go back the way she came and forget all about this. She turned to look behind her.

Just as she was about to do exactly that, she saw a solid figure standing against a tree with its back turned to her. It wore an orange tunic and tan pants with black boots on their feet. The bushy nest of chestnut brown hair was a dead giveaway to who it was. Kari's eyes widened with relief.

"Tai!" she cried, pushing herself forward to reach her brother's side.

The Jedi of Courage turned around and smiled at his sister. "This way, Kari," he said. "I'm gonna get you out of here."

Without waiting for her to catch up to him, Tai walked down the path with the grace and elegance of a ghost. No matter how fast Kari walked, it was not enough to catch up with her brother. There was supposed to be nothing in the forest, now that Kari thought about it, but she suspended her disbelief for the time being. If it meant a way out of this suffocating darkness, she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Tai, wait up!" Kari cried, but the figure continued walking into the mist without stopping. "Where are we going?"

"We're almost there, Kari," Tai's voice seemed a little far-off. "Trust me."

"Wait!"

Kari broke through the misty wall that her brother had disappeared into. Mist engulfed her, blocking out anything that looked like a tree or incline in the path. Tai was nowhere to be found. If she was scared before, Kari was officially terrified now. She was all alone with no one around to help her.

"Tai?" she called, hoping that he was simply being blocked out by the mist. "Are you there?"

No answer came her way.

Suddenly, strange noises blared throughout the mist. Kari almost jumped out of her skin. This was getting scarier by the minute. Someone had to be around to help her.

"YOLEI!" she screamed. "DAVIS? KEN? IS ANYONE OUT THERE? HELP ME!"

A low, spine-tingling laugh echoed in the mist. Kari's hand shot down to pluck her lightsaber off the hook on her obi. The blue blade shot out of its casing and held steady, ready for action. The girl's head twisted around in every direction, looking for the source of the laugh.

A dark, distorted figure appeared out of the mist, looking at her with hungry eyes. Then a red lightsaber appeared with a chilling sound. Kari pointed her saber in the figure's direction.

"Who are you?" she said in a shaky voice, trying to sound brave.

"What will you do now that you are all alone, Kari?" the figure snickered in a low, distorted voice. "No one is coming to help you."

"Just you wait! My brother and my friends will come for me any minute now."

"Are you sure about that?"

The mist cleared. Kari took one look at the surrounding area and let out a loud, terrified scream.

Bodies were strung across the ground, but three stuck out to Kari the most. Tai, Davis, and TK all laid dead next to her. Her brother's lightsaber lay inches from his fingers while the other two had simmering holes in their chests from where the lightsaber buried itself inside of them.

"You're all alone, Kari," the figure hissed. "What will you do now without your protectors?"

The Jedi of Light could not stop staring at the dead bodies that were just inches from her feet. It was too horrific to stop. Her brother and two of her best friends. All dead. A pool of blood flowed out from under Tai's body.

"This isn't real," Kari told herself, hyperventilating from all the fear and sadness rushing through her like a bullet. "This isn't real. This isn't real."

The misty apparition snickered and grabbed her arm before she could make a move. Kari struggled against its hold, but the grip was like iron. She could not escape. The figure reached down and touched Tai's blood before hovering its hand over Kari's face. It smeared the blood all over her.

"Can you taste your brother's blood?" the figure hissed. "Have I proven that all of this is real now?"

The girl shrieked, spitting out the copper-tasting fluid when it fell into her mouth. Blood was still strung across her face.

"You're nothing without your brother, Kari. You have depended on him all your life for strength that you are incapable of doing anything for yourself. You need to be told what to do all the time instead of taking some initiative for yourself."

"No!" Kari shook her head vigorously. Tears fell from her eyes as she refused to believe anything that the misty figure said. None of it was true. Or was it? The thought frightened her.

The Jedi of Light then saw the figure get bigger. It was growing with every single taunt that it lashed her psyche with. Hold on. What was that shrinking sensation in her legs? Why was her arm getting shorter? Her eyes widened.

Her tormentor hadn't grown. She had shrunk.

"No!" Kari sobbed. Her voice sounded just like it did when she was eight years old. "You're wrong!"

She crawled away on her knees while still crying, hoping to escape this nightmare she was living. Something stuck to her hands and legs as Kari continued crawling. The pool of Tai's blood followed her everywhere she went. Kari picked up her pace, shutting her eyes to not see anything else.

A body landed on top of her. Kari glanced over her shoulder and saw it was TK. His eyes were open! She squeaked and backed away from him.

"We had to protect and watch over you!" he said in a voice that sounded like a moan, almost like what a zombie would sound like.

Tai's corpse sat up and craned his head to look at her with a blank stare. Suddenly, he disappeared from his position on the ground. When he appeared again, he was right next to Kari.

"Look what happened because we're too busy looking after you!" he roared.

"Go away!" Kari sobbed, blocking her ears with her hands to block everything out. She looked to her left.

Davis was right there to complete the triangle. He stared at her with angry, glazed over yellow eyes. Blood covered his cheeks.

"If you'd only speak your thoughts instead of letting others fight your battles, we'd still be alive!"

This was too much for Kari and she finally broke down. Her terrified screams and anguished sobs filled the trees surrounding her. Neither of the three boys did a thing. They only watched.

"Okay, I admit it!" she yelled, keeping her gaze on the dirt beneath her. "I do depend on Tai for strength, but that's only because I always feel safe around him. I let him make all the decisions for me because I know how much he loves me."

Kari looked up to meet the gaze of her misty tormentor and the three male Jedi surrounding her. They watched her with interest, encouraging her to continue speaking with just their eyes.

"I'm also fine with TK speaking up for me. He's a good friend to me and I wouldn't want it any other way. I also appreciate how Davis tries to make me laugh when I'm worried or have a lot on my mind."

Kari looked back down. Her voice was much softer and quiet now.

"I don't want to speak up because I'm scared that neither of them would want to spend much time with me if I were to start doing things by myself," she mumbled. "I've always had others doing things for me that I don't know how to function on my own. What if I make the wrong choice? What if I make the right one? I don't know how to decide which one is which! There's too many choices!"

A gust of wind swirled around the misty figure as it stepped towards the girl. Its shape morphed and changed until it finally reached her. When Kari looked up, it was like staring into a mirror. A reflection whose eyes were yellow and reflected an evil glint.

"Life has too many choices," it mocked her. The right hand lifted to reveal a sharp kitchen knife with blood dripping off of it. "I'll help you make one last one. Life won't be overwhelming anymore."

A flash of white flew over Kari and tackled the evil reflection to the ground. The two rolled around, punching and kicking each other. Kari didn't stop to admire the fight, darting straight up and running as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Come back, Kari!" Tai shouted. "We're not through with you yet!"

"Yeah! We still haven't gotten to the part where we eat your brains!" Davis echoed.

Kari pumped her legs even faster. How did she ever run this fast on such small legs? She turned to the right and hid behind the thick trunk. The three males ran right past the tree, not knowing she was there.

'_They're gone.' _Kari panted, trying to recover her breath.

The copper taste of the blood lingered in her mouth. She reached up to wipe the blood off her face, but there was none on her hand when she brought it in front of her eyes. Kari gasped. It hadn't been real.

She was still in her eight-year-old body though.

"_Kari." _

A small pink light appeared in front of her before fading away. A white cat with yellow green gloves on its paws and a white and purple striped tail stood before the girl.

"Gatomon." Kari reached out to hug the creature. "I'm so glad you're here. That was so scary."

The feline clung to her, transferring its warmth into the girl to try and calm her down after that dreadful experience.

"It's okay," said Gatomon. "It's over. That thing won't be bothering you anymore."

"What was it?"

"That was all of your self-doubt and lack of self-confidence personified. You weren't here with your brother and the others when they came so the forces within the forest had been waiting so long for this moment."

Kari's bottom lip jutted out and trembled in shame.

"Kari, life is full of choices," Gatomon said. "Wondering what you're going to do one minute to the next, that's a choice. Deciding whether to do your homework or go watch TV is a choice. So what if you make the wrong one? If it is, then just get back on your feet and try again. Life is all about seeing how you bounce back after making a bad choice."

"That's why I'm afraid," the Jedi of Light mumbled. "Tai has always been there to decide for me. He never steers me wrong; TK and Davis neither."

"But some day, they won't be there to make decisions for you anymore," the Digimon of Light countered. "You're not a helpless little girl anymore, Kari. There is going to be a time when you have to decide for yourself what to do next."

There was a short pause before Gatomon resumed talking.

"Now don't get me wrong; there is nothing bad about relying on your brother and friends. They're the ones who care most about you than anyone. But part of growing up is experiencing life, which also means screwing up at times. I screwed up plenty of times until I finally met you three years ago. You gave me my life back again, Kari. You're not allowing yourself to experience life for what it is."

Kari slid down along the tree trunk into a seated position. This was too much to think about all at once. For so long, she refused to admit to herself that she felt like a burden on her brother and friends. She did whatever she had to do to make them all happy and keep the peace. Now she saw how much of a detriment that was to her own well-being. But still, the fear of what her life would be like without them overpowered any attempt at her changing herself.

Gatomon sensed the unease and knew exactly what to do.

Taking Kari's hands in her paws, she said, "Repeat after me: I am a fierce Destined Jedi that has a mind of my own. I will speak up."

The Jedi of Light kept her gaze down. This was exactly what she did with Davis at Aqua City the other day. The tables were now turned on her this time.

"I am a fierce Destined Jedi that has a mind of my own," she said in an unconfident voice. "I will speak up."

Gatomon frowned, crossing her paws over her chest. "Say it again. I didn't feel anything with that."

Kari looked up and took a deep breath, saying it a little more confidently. "I am a fierce Destined Jedi that has a mind of my own. I will speak up."

"Again!"

"I am a fierce Destined Jedi that has a mind of my own! I will speak up!"

"Once again! Let me feel it!"

"I AM A FIERCE DESTINED JEDI THAT HAS A MIND OF MY OWN!" Kari yelled into the air. "I WILL SPEAK UP!"

Her voice echoed throughout the forest. The trees brightened as the mist and darkness disappeared before Kari's very eyes. The path up ahead beckoned for her to come.

Kari sprung up a foot. Her hair returned to its normal length as she stood at her eleven-year-old height. She smiled, happy to be back to normal.

"And don't you forget any of that, Kari," Gatomon said with a smile. "I'll always be here for you. Don't ever forget that."

Kari nodded. "I won't. Thank you, Gatomon."

The white cat nodded and faded away until she was completely gone.

Kari looked to the path that would lead her out of the forest and ran down it. No matter what happened next in her life, she was going to borrow her brother and friends' courage and face it head on.

* * *

Ken ceased his steps.

He heard gurgling up ahead. Was that water? He didn't remember being told about any lakes or rivers in the forest. Maybe he was just hearing things. Then again, anything was possible in this forest so he could never be too sure. He decided to take a chance and see what happened. Anything was better than walking in this dark, dreadful forest any second longer.

His legs carried him as fast as they could to where the sound was. Mist swirled around him as mysterious voices moaned and whispered around him. Ken pushed himself even more to get away from the cloud of mist before it swallowed him. The Force gave him an extra burst of speed. Just as the mist was about to cut him off, Ken dove through a crevice between two trees.

Soft earth tickled his face as the gurgling sound filled his ears. Ken looked up and saw he was at the edge of a vast, crystal clear, blue lake. Even in the darkness, the water reflected like a large mirror with what little light it had. Ken stood and glanced out across to the other shore, where more trees stood as a gateway to what else lay beyond in the forest.

The Jedi of Kindness pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger to wipe it clean before stepping towards the water. He was afraid to touch it initially, worried he would disturb something that was not meant to be disturbed. As he admired the lake, the more its beauty struck him. The only comparison he could make of it was to the Forest Spirit's sacred lake in _Princess Mononoke. _

As the boy looked down at the water, his reflection gazed right back. So much had changed in the last few months. The reflection Ken looked at now was not the same one that stared back at him for so long.

His eyes gazed at the scar on the right side of his face. That mark was the reminder of all the shame he still had to overcome. Even after being with the team for the past three months, Ken still had a hard time believing all of this was real. How could he, the former Digimon Emperor who thought of nothing but domination, change so much and be surrounded by good people who cared about him in such a short time? It baffled him beyond description.

'_Do I really deserve all of this?' _he wondered the longer he stared at his reflection. _'Having so many wonderful people around me after everything I have done. I never thought this would happen in a million years. All those horrible things I did; I'm not sure if I am deserving of it.' _

The water rippled around his reflection and two more were reflected. Ken's eyes widened. Davis and Matt. He looked to both sides of him, but neither were actually there. Then he realized – this was the forest's challenge for him.

"Stop being so hard on yourself, Ken," said the reflection of Matt. "You are worthy of being loved."

Davis' reflection nodded and added, "He's right. Underneath the shell you wore was a kind-hearted person that was struggling to break free after being hurt for so long."

"But I was a monster as the Digimon Emperor," Ken replied. "I don't know how you all could forgive me after what I did. I tortured you, and almost killed Sora. A kind-hearted person would never do that."

He stopped. "Wait. I'm talking to figments of my imagination. I must be losing my mind."

"Yes, but also we're your thoughts,"Davis said.

Matt nodded. "We're the ones you constantly fight against from hearing because punishing yourself mentally means you'll somehow make up for the past."

Ken clenched a fist and then unclenched it to relieve the tension. "There is no other way," he said in defeat. "I have done so many horrible things that I cannot forgive myself for." The memory of Sam lying dead on the pavement flashed before his eyes, knocking the wind right out of him. His lip trembled. "Especially the death of my brother."

The reflection of Davis frowned. "What a masochist," he murmured to himself and then looked at Matt. "The only way he's going to hear us –"

The blonde read his mind and finished, "–Is if he sees his brother."

The two reflections moved closer together until they blended into one figure. Ken's heart stopped. He was staring at a reflection of his brother.

Sam Ichijouji looked exactly the same as the day he was killed. His dark navy hair was wildly styled on his head in the way Ken always remembered it to be and his deep blue eyes gazed up warmly.

The reflection gave a shy wave and smiled sadly. "Hi there, little brother."

Ken stumbled back from the shock, falling right on his butt. His eyes stared at the water the entire time, unable to believe what he was seeing. He was definitely losing his mind now.

"S-Sam?" he gasped in ragged breaths.

"Not to worry. I am a figment of your imagination. I'm not real," the reflection of Sam said. "This is what I looked like the last time you saw me when I was alive."

"Yes, the day I murdered you," Ken replied in a trembling voice. He crawled towards the water's edge and stayed in a kneeling position as he stared back at the reflection. "I'm so glad you're here."

All of the emotions inside of him finally let loose as Ken started crying. The shame, the guilt, and all the torment he put himself through over that incident finally came out.

"Sam, I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "I didn't mean to do what I did. I don't hate you."

Sam's sad smile transitioned to one of warmth and understanding.

"Ken, I didn't have time to think when it happened,"he said. "It all happened so fast and you know very well I didn't feel anything when it was over." He paused for a second to gather his thoughts before continuing. "Things were getting rocky between us right before that, weren't they? You could see the pressure I was being put under to be perfect." Sam scratched his head with a guilty look. "You could see I didn't know how to handle that. Remember when we used to blow bubbles? That was one of our favorite things to do together."

The younger Ichijouji brother stopped crying and looked up. The one happy memory he would always cherish from his childhood was the countless hours he spent on the balcony blowing bubbles with Sam.

"Me too," he nodded as a small smile rose up his face. "Despite all of our differences, it was something we both could agree on. It was just our thing."

A tiny bubble appeared next to the reflection of Sam. It drifted down towards his hand at almost exactly five centimeters per second. He caught it and held it there. The bubble retained its shape without popping. Sam smiled at the bubble and then looked back at Ken.

"This represents your world,"he said. "Just as strong as this bubble is in keeping its shape and how it enjoys spreading laughter and joy to others that watch it, it's just as fragile with the slightest touch. You've been given a second chance. The problem is anytime you allow another bubble to form –" he popped the bubble, "–you'd rather sabotage it instead of taking in the joy that it spreads."

Suddenly, Sam was surrounded by hundreds of floating bubbles. He didn't seem to notice them as he continued his speech.

"Your heart knows that these new friends are not just friends. They're becoming like family to you. Stop pushing them away. Allow yourself to be loved by them. Or one day –"all of the bubbles popped at the same time, leaving nothing but the water around Sam. "–They'll only be Destined Jedi, the people you saved the world with, not friends. That is when what you fear most will happen: You'll really be alone. I don't want that for you, Ken. You can fool others with that "happy" mask you hide behind, but you'll never fool your mind."

Ken took all of this in with an open heart. This was just like when he was little and would harp on everything his brother said like it was gospel. He wanted to be that little kid again; someone who looked at life as something beautiful and wonderful to experience.

He looked away. "But how can I let them in when I can't love myself?" he murmured.

"Take that mask off and be brutally honest with them by showing who you really are emotionally," Sam replied. "It's not like they haven't already seen the past you. If they can learn to accept that, then they can learn to accept who you are emotionally."

Ken absorbed the advice like a sponge. Sam was right. After they got to know him a little better, Matt and Davis accepted him without any hesitation. The blonde Jedi was the older brother figure he needed in his life; someone to set him on the straight and narrow path and provide support when he needed. Davis was the best friend he had craved his entire life. All of this happened because Tai exacted mercy on him. He owed the Jedi of Courage his life for all the kindness he had shown him since he stopped being the Digimon Emperor. A bright smile shot up his face.

Sam noticed and smiled too.

"Do you see how ironic this is?_" _he chuckled. "You already knew the answer. Here's something else you already knew: There were times back at your base that you felt another presence there. It was easier to say it was my ghost than to confront what the actual presence was." He looked past Ken to gaze at the tree line. "At this exact moment, you're feeling that presence again, but you're too scared to acknowledge it. It's time to acknowledge that presence to find out what it wants."

Ken's face paled and asked, "What do you mean? What presence?"

Sam leaned forward until he almost threatened to emerge from the water like he was of flesh and blood.

"Think back to those times_," _he said in a ghostly voice._ "_Meditate. Reach out to who has been trying to reach out to you even now. Stop being afraid_." _

A hesitant nod.

"Okay," Ken said, then took a breath. "I'll try."

His mind ceased its activity to try and process all of the information thrown his way, allowing itself to calm and be clear. Ken then shut his eyes and felt peace wash over him. He reached out with his thoughts.

'_I'm here. Whoever you are, come on out.' _

A small magenta light flashed against Ken's eyelids. He opened his eyes to see the source of it and was surprised to see a small form taking shape inside the light. Sam's reflection had vanished while his eyes were closed.

The light faded, and a caterpillar-like creature looked up at Ken with wide blue eyes. A pink mark graced its forehead. Its small forest green body was about ten inches long and fifteen inches high.

"Hello, Ken," it said in a low, deep voice.

Ken was shocked by the sound of its voice. He thought it sounded like the butler from the _Batman _cartoon. His mouth was in an 'O' shape and his eyes were wide as dinner plates.

"Who are you?" he gasped.

The creature crawled towards him. "My name is Wormmon," it said as it reached Ken's legs. "I've waited so long to meet you, Ken. I'm happy you embraced me instead of continuing to ignore me. I'm your Digimon Guide."

"Digimon Guide?"

Wormmon nodded. "Yes. I'm here to help guide you when you feel lost or overwhelmed. Anytime you need advice, or need a shoulder to lean on, I'm always there. I'm happy that you finally found your place in this team and you're no longer the Digimon Emperor."

Ken reached out and took the insect in his arms, bringing him close to his face so they looked at nothing but each other.

"Why didn't you come sooner?" he asked.

"I tried reaching out to you many times, but I didn't like being yelled at and that cold shoulder of yours was very cold."

Ken chuckled. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

Hold on. Did Wormmon say that he had tried to reach out several times before? Maybe some of those times he thought it was Sam's ghost haunting him were actually the creature. One particular time interested him.

"When I tried cutting my tattoo out, something stopped me from doing it," he said. "I thought it was Sam, but –" His eyes widened even more.

"That was me," Wormmon finished, raising one of his legs with a warm smile. "I was not going to let you die on my watch. Any time you need me, all you have to do is reach out. I'll come to you."

Ken nodded. "Thank you, Wormmon. I hope we can be good friends going forward." He put the caterpillar back down on the ground.

"I hope we can become friends too. Call me a sentimental Digimon, but I actually happen to like hugs." Wormmon's little legs traced around in the soft earth nervously. "But that's okay if you don't want to hug right now. I'm happy enough that you decided to acknowledge me at least."

The Jedi of Kindness' smile brightened. How could he say no to such an innocent request like that?

"I'd like that," he said, picking the caterpillar up again and hugging him into his chest. A tear fell down his cheek. He felt so happy right now.

Wormmon murmured in delight as he snuggled further into Ken. After so long in the darkness, he finally had emerged into the light. It felt like becoming a beautiful butterfly after being stuck in a cocoon.

"I like this side of you much better," he said. "It suits you."

"I do too," Ken whispered back before ending the embrace, much to both of their dismay.

The forest suddenly brightened. A path to Ken's right emerged out of the mist surrounding the lake, beckoning him to come. It was his way out. He had passed the test.

"Ken, I need you to promise me before you leave that you'll stop tearing yourself apart," Wormmon said. "Everyone deserves to have friends and be loved. That includes you. That means you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable and be honest with them. I am always here for you when you need me, but whatever happens next is up to you."

The raven-haired Jedi nodded with enthusiasm. "I promise. I will never forget what happened here today."

The Digimon of Kindness smiled and bowed his head. "I'm glad. May the Force always be with you, Ken."

Wormmon faded away like a screen going to black. It was almost like he was never there to begin with. Ken touched the spot where the caterpillar was and smiled, filled with hope for what lay ahead.

"No more pity," he told himself. "No more holding on to the past. It's time for me to finally move forward."

And that he did.

* * *

Young Gennai looked down at the imaginary watch on his wrist. It had been almost three hours since the kids had gone into the forest and not one had emerged yet. Past the thick trees, rays of sunlight filled the clearing behind him. He hoped they all succeeded. If not, then Homeostasis had put its trust in the wrong people.

The first to arrive was Davis. He walked out of the foliage holding his head high and an extra spring in his step. Young Gennai smiled. He knew that the young male would pass just from first glance.

Yolei and Cody soon arrived, followed by Kari. Ken was the last to arrive, but he came out of the forest with a wide grin on his face.

"Ken! You made it!" Davis cried happily.

Ken nodded. "Hi. Yes I did."

Yolei noticed the grin on his face. Whatever happened in there, it seemed to have changed him a lot. There was something different about Ken's aura. It seemed much lighter this time than before.

"You look…_different_," she said before backtracking, waving her hands in a defensive gesture. "Not a bad different that is. A good different."

"You look happy, Ken," Kari added.

"Do I?"

"Yeah. Did something good happen while you were in there?" asked Davis.

Ken thought back to his conversation with Wormmon. His smile got bigger as he remembered the creature's tiny body pressed against his chest. Nah, he wouldn't tell them what happened.

He nodded. "Yes, but that is all I'll say on the matter."

"As it should be, Ken," Young Gennai said. "Everyone, what you experienced is up to you to share or not. What matters is that you faced your darkness and passed."

He grinned and waved his eyebrows suggestively at the two female Jedi. "With that said, Kari, Yolei, I've got a special bottle of wine back at my house with your names on it."

"No thanks." Kari and Yolei groaned and rolled their eyes. They should have expected this.

"Would you stop doing that, you creep?!" Davis growled, shaking a fist at the man.

"Seriously," Cody added sharply.

Young Gennai pouted at the two of them. "Killjoy. Seriously. You'd think you boys would help."

"We're not perverts." Davis bit.

Before things could go further, Kari stepped in and changed the subject.

"I met up with Gatomon again," she reported happily. "It had been a while since I saw her so it was nice to catch up. Who was yours, Cody?"

Cody seemed caught off-guard by the question. Kari had met up with a creature? Why didn't that happen to him? Something felt a little bit off about this, but he didn't know what.

"I didn't get one," he said.

"Me either!" Davis exclaimed, turning back to look at their test proctor. "Why is that, Gennai?"

Young Gennai opened his mouth to reply, but Yolei would not let him answer.

"Whoa. Hey! Where was mine?" she demanded. "Gennai, I thought you said we all passed? What happened?"

Before the man could explain, she cut him off again.

"How did I miss mine? That's so not fair!" Yolei looked at Ken. "Ken? Did you meet yours?"

Ken nodded. "Yes. His name was Wormmon."

"_WHAAAAT? _Gennai!"

Gennai pounded a fist against his leg. "Would you please be quiet and let me explain?" he growled. "You know what, chatterboxes like you don't deserve any wine."

Yolei folded her arms over her chest. "Oh, I'm so disappointed."

"Can we please get back on subject?" Cody interjected, hoping to bring the conversation back to where it had been a moment ago. "Gennai, why did Kari and Ken meet creatures, but the three of us did not?"

"Kids these days," Young Gennai grumbled. After a short pause, and a dramatic sigh, he said, "Alright. Listen up. Ken was originally supposed to join the group way back then to make nine Destined Jedi. The original nine were given Digimon guides to offer advice when my previous life knew he wouldn't be there much longer to guide and shape them into who they are now."

The others listened silently, curious to see where he was going with this.

"By now though, there is no point for you three to have a Digimon guide, because you already have the older kids to look up to for guidance. Wormmon was originally assigned to Ken and had waited years to meet him."

Young Gennai lifted his hand to open a portal back to the real world when something else crossed his mind. He stopped just before the portal could be opened. Maybe now was the right time to tell them.

"I feel I must mention this as Hackmon recently brought this to my attention. This may help everyone as they fight against the Snake."

"What is it?" Cody asked.

"When it was decided that it was not safe to have The Chosen One on board for the time being we tried..." Young Gennai paused for a moment to think of the right phrase to use. "Looking into alternatives. Turns out eight Destined Jedi were enough to beat the darkness. That is, until the Digimon Emperor appeared.

"We needed someone that could access the Force with the same amount of power until The Chosen One returned. Problem is no one matched his abilities, and giving that much power to someone is tricky. Not just anyone can handle that. Trust me.

"There have been two other teams in the past, each with one member who had the potential to handle such power. One succumbed to the darkness quickly while the other struggled. Outside of those two, and another, none survived."

The kids gasped in shock and horror, but did not say anything. This was their first time hearing of this. Many Jedi had fallen? All of a sudden, this did not feel like a game anymore.

"Homeostasis was hesitant to start up the Destined Jedi again after that second team was wiped out. Later, we realized after Ken, and an alternative, fell through that dividing that same power into others would work better in the long run." He pointed at Davis, Cody, and Yolei individually. "That's where you three come in. If you alone worked together, you could match Ken's power and take on anyone."

Davis, Kari, and Yolei listened mesmerized by Young Gennai's speech. Their eyes were wide as saucers and sparkling, desperate to hear more of what he had to say. Cody and Ken, however, were more curious than mystified.

"Wait," said Cody. "An alternative? What do you mean by that? Was there someone else in mind if we failed or died like those others?"

Young Gennai smiled nervously and shrugged.

Cody's eyes narrowed. "So we were just a last resort for your master plan."

"No, of course not, Cody," the man defensively replied. "That's not true. You weren't planned, but you were essential in restoring the Chosen One to us. He is the one that will eventually restore balance to this land."

"But why me?" Ken asked. "Why am I the 'Chosen One'?"

Young Gennai looked at each of the Jedi with a serious look that was a complete contrast to the easy-going, if not lecherous, expression they had come to know.

"I trust Hackmon gave the prophecy?" he said.

All the kids nodded. The man accepted them with a nod of his own.

"Okay, good. Ken, there are times that you struggle with the darkness. That is to be expected with your level of power. It is because of that struggle that you're able to see past what's there and find the answer. No one else is capable of doing this. That is all that Homeostasis has shared with me."

Davis frowned. "Then this Homeostasis needs to do a better job at explaining things because I have no idea what you just said."

"Or, it's wise enough to stay vague so that your enemies don't figure out the answer." Young Gennai snickered lecherously with a smirk. He pointed his thumb in the opposite direction. "I have special brownies and wine back at my house. Anyone interested?"

"No thanks," Ken deadpanned. "We really should be getting home now."

Young Gennai's face puffed out in a pout. "What is it with this generation?!" he whined. "The concept of enjoying life is lost." With a wave of his hand, he added, "Fine. Go. Do Jedi stuff. I'm going home."

"Thank you for everything, Gennai," Ken bowed. The others copied.

"Thank you," they all chorused.

Young Gennai bowed back. "Go forth and defend our worlds. You five are a great bunch. I have all the confidence that you will stop what's coming next."

"We will," Davis replied.

Ken turned and opened a portal back to the real world. With one last wave, they stepped off towards home.

They were now officially Destined Jedi.

* * *

A twelve-year-old boy stood on the connecting bridge looking at the traffic below in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. All the festive cheer and lights surrounded him in the darkness, but he was as down in the dumps as could be.

As an aspiring mangaka, he showed some of his friends his ne-mu for a series he wanted to do but they just laughed him out of the room and told him how terrible it was. He ran out in tears until he finally reached the bridge. For a second, he thought about just jumping off and ending it all now. No one would miss him.

A sharp wind grazed his left side. The boy turned and gave a startled gasp. A strange woman stood towering over him, eyeing him like a tiger would its prey behind her sunglasses.

"Are you ready to be a hero?" she asked, a slight snicker in her voice. "It doesn't have to be this way. You can do something greater. I can lead you there." The woman stuck out a purple gloved hand to him.

The boy stared at her hand for a few moments before finally laying his hand in it.

Daigo Nishijima caught sight of the two as they walked to a truck with a large hold in the back. His eyes widened when he realized he recognized the woman as she tossed the boy into the back and closed it. Terror gripped him as he ran to the truck to try and stop this.

"No, no, no, no!" he panicked, pushing himself to reach it, but it joined the traffic. "Wait! WAIT! STOP!"

The driver did not seem to hear him as the truck disappeared into the gaggle of vehicles going down the street.

Daigo breathed heavily as he racked his brain on what to do. He couldn't just let this happen. Who else would that woman take? But there was nothing he himself could do.

"I've gotta find the Destined Jedi," he told himself.

* * *

**What do these kidnappings hold for the Destined Jedi next? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed that. Like I said at the top, I wanted to do something different with Ken's challenge because he's had all these frightening encounters already. For example, in the base where he had the Cave of Evil moment with Sam in chapter 22 and then in his coma where he faced off against the Digimon Emperor in a Jekyll and Hyde confrontation in chapter 26. If I brought the Emperor back here, it would have rendered all of those moot. **

**We are now on our way to the last arc of the story. I have many great surprises in store for you guys, so you do not want to miss out. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe if you have not. I look forward to every word you guys write. **

**Have a great, safe, and blessed weekend and week, you guys. I will see you all at the same time next weekend. **


	39. The Disappearing Children

**Reviews: **

**Ackbarfan5556: That's quite okay. That is all I really needed. Thank you as always. **

**daniela-liceth: Es posible, pero en este momento quiero concentrarme en mis historias que ya he planeado. Muchas gracias para la crítica. (It's possible, but right now I want to focus on the stories that I already have planned. Thank you for the review.) **

**Music Chick: Yeah they are. I loved doing them. Yes he is XD **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Once again, you are spot on, Greymon. Like I said, Ken's was a little more pulled back because he has already had two horrifying encounters already, which was why I wanted his to be a little different from the others. As for those two that came before Ken, those will be addressed in future stories ;-) **

**Shout outs to jedi master 2001 and spyrofan34 for the favorites. You guys rock!**

* * *

**Hello all. Hope you had a good week. This is so exciting. We are reaching the last couple chapters! Yay! We are almost at the end of this wild coaster ride that has taken up almost a year. Now that the younger Jedi are officially Destined Jedi, what awaits them next in the real world? Find out right here. I have a feeling you guys are gonna like what you read. I also have a surprise at the end for you ;-)**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Ken yawned as he stumbled out of his room, rubbing his eyes. He did not sleep well at all.

It had been a rough night for five of the Jedi that went to the Dark Forest. What happened there lingered on their minds the entire night. While fast asleep, a sudden flash of what happened would startle them awake numerous times. Davis probably slept the worst of all of them due to the sight of his friends' mangled bodies being permanently tattooed on his brain.

In Ken's case, he just had a lot to think about. Everything before August 7th felt like a bad dream now. The Digimon Emperor no longer reigned, replaced by just Ken. But that did not mean he was all better. Ken knew that he still had a long way to go until he could feel whole again.

"Good morning," he stumbled into the kitchen, where his mother made breakfast and his father sipped on his mug of coffee. The morning news said it would be slightly cloudy and cold on New Years Day 2003.

"Good morning, Ken," said Mrs. Ichijouji with a smile. "Did you sleep well? I hope you had a great time with your friends at Mrs. Kamiya's."

"Yeah, I did," Ken nodded and sat down on the couch. "We had a great time."

"I'm glad. Breakfast will be ready in a moment, dear."

"Okay."

Ken's eyes glued to the television, allowing himself to stare mindlessly as nothing interesting came on. Suddenly, a '_Breaking News' _graphic flashed across the screen and went to the news anchor.

"_Good morning, everyone. This just in: police have received reports of children disappearing all over the city. So far, as many as a dozen children have been confirmed missing from various wards." _

Ken shot up to his feet. He could hardly breathe. Why were there so many children missing? What had happened while he and the others were gone? So many questions swirled around his mind in a dizzying tornado.

A chill ran down his spine. Darkness was growing powerful here in the real world. Then he sensed it. A presence he had not felt in so long.

'_Oikawa.' _

"Ken, what's the matter?" his mother asked, standing right beside him. "You look awfully pale."

The boy got his breath back to speak, but it came out as a hoarse gasp.

"I'm okay," he murmured. "Honest."

"Are you sure? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Yes. Maybe a little food will do me some good."

Out in Odaiba, the Destined Jedi were equally horrified by the report. Sora called Tai and asked if he and Kari were watching, which they were. Davis almost choked on his toast when he heard. No one had any answers as to what was going on.

"Dad!" Matt shouted from the living room. "You've gotta see this!"

Mr. Ishida stumbled out of the kitchen and into the living room. He sipped on his coffee, trying to wake himself up with the mug of caffeinated energy. Rumiko had already left for work that morning so it was just the two of them.

"What's wrong, Matt?"

His son pointed to the television.

Mr. Ishida spat out his coffee when he saw the headline across the bottom. Kidnappings? While Japan was one of the safest countries in the world in terms of overall crime, even it was not exempt from things like kidnappings. To also hear that twelve children had disappeared was especially troubling.

"What the hell?"

"I know, right?" Matt agreed. "Unbelievable."

The news anchor then turned it over to the pundits for analysis. They didn't say anything interesting at first, but then one of the pundits said something that shocked the two males.

"_I think that those kids from the Christmas Eve attack may have something to do with this. They appear and then all of a sudden these kidnappings start happening. I have spoken with law enforcement officials and they are investigating to find out who these kids are." _

Matt could not help himself.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he roared, throwing the remote at the screen.

As if things could not get any worse. Suddenly, the news anchor flashed up twelve pictures on the screen. It was photos of the Jedi, along with their names added underneath each photograph. They also said that they had received the information from an anonymous source.

"WHAT?!" Mr. Ishida shouted, angry and confused to what happened. They had broken minor laws in revealing the Jedi's names without permission, and from an unnamed source too. He wanted answers right away.

"Dad, do something about this," Matt demanded. "I swear to you, we are not responsible for what happened to those kids."

"I know you're not, son. Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

* * *

"You have to withdraw the story now!" Mr. Ishida pounded the desk to emphasize his point.

The station director frowned behind his grizzly black mustache and half-moon spectacles. Hiroaki was the much bigger man of the two, but he was raised in the old ways of Imperial Japan at its height before World War II. He was not intimidated by any man and bullishly stuck by his beliefs.

"Hiroaki–"

"Do you understand how much legal jeopardy this puts the station in?! You willingly broke minor laws and named eleven children without permission, including my two sons!"

The director sucked in a sharp breath, trying to be the calm and reasonable head between the two of them.

"I understand you are angry, and you have every right to be as a parent, but in the interest of the public's right to know–"

"TO HELL WITH THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW!" Mr. Ishida shouted.

Everyone walking by the office stopped and turned to see what was going on. This was certainly no ordinary day at the office. The taller man took a deep breath and got his control back. He cleared his throat.

"Not only that," he added, "But you also can be sued for libel and defamation. Do you have any proof that the kids had anything to do with the recent kidnappings?"

The director folded his arms and gave the same tired line he had memorized by now.

"We are not responsible for what pundits say on the air because they are invited guests. There is nothing–"

"That's horseshit, and you know it," Mr. Ishida growled. "These kids are not public figures so their parents have a pretty good case against you."

He leaned forward, his dark eyes scrunched in an evil glare. Even a battle-hardened man like the director could not help but shrink back in his chair.

"If you don't send out an apology and withdraw the kids' names, I will resign and bring a class action lawsuit on behalf of all the parents. I've already talked to them, and they are more than willing to go to court if need be."

"You're bluffing," the director shot back.

"_Am I?" _

Fire shot from both of their eyes as they refused to back down to the other. A crowd of people gathered outside the windows to see what would happen next. Some fought amongst each other to get a better view of the impending confrontation.

Mr. Ishida's heart beat five times before the man across from him backed down.

"Okay, Hiroaki. You win." The director said with resignation. The last thing he wanted was to go to court over this. He knew Mr. Ishida and the parents had a rock solid case against them. "We'll submit a retraction as soon as possible to go with a formal apology. Just don't bring this to court. Please!"

Mr. Ishida smiled victoriously. "Thank you. That's all I wanted to hear."

The gathering crowd dispersed, upset that their show turned out to be a dud. He wasn't through with him yet though. "Now tell me who gave you their names and information."

The director straightened some papers on his desk in a cavalier way.

"You know I can't say," he dismissed. "We're not allowed to reveal our anonymous sources."

"Who was it? What they did was a crime, goddamn it! Tell me! Of course, the news division is also to blame for taking the information at face value and gleefully running with it instead of weighing the consequences. Anything for the ratings, huh?"

"That's enough, Hiroaki," his boss growled, tired of talking about this and wanting to move on as soon as possible. "Unless you have anything else to say, get out of my office before I fire you."

Mr. Ishida sighed. He had gotten what he wanted: a retraction and formal apology to himself and the other parents, so there was no need to keep fighting. Even so, he was angry at not knowing who it was that leaked the information. This was getting worse every passing second. He needed to know. But that was for another day.

"Okay, I'll leave," he mumbled before walking out of the office.

His reporter's instinct took over his brain as he walked through the halls of the television station. If the station director was not going to tell him their sources, he was going to have to do some investigating on his own.

* * *

At Matt's apartment the next day, the blonde Jedi and Ken sat before each other in Matt's bedroom. The Jedi of Friendship wanted to check on Ken to see how he was doing after his experience in the Dark Forest.

To avoid being caught by the media or police after the news report from that morning, the Jedi agreed to only travel by portal so that they didn't have to go outside. Other people were also a concern because the kids knew some would be afraid enough to call the police at the sight of them. Their pictures had been blasted all over the news. It was better to avoid going anywhere except to each other's homes for the time being.

"Was it frightening?" Matt asked.

Ken shook his head. "Not really. Sure, it was unnerving to walk through complete darkness with mist surrounding you, but it wasn't too bad. My challenge didn't completely frighten me the way it did some of the others."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. I had to go through a field of elephant grass that was straight out of the long grass scene in _The Lost World_." Matt chuckled. "I was close to actually believing that Velociraptors were waiting for me like in the movie."

Ken laughed too. "That's funny. I didn't get taken to a field of elephant grass, but I did end up beside a lake. I saw reflections of you, Davis," he paused, then said softly, "and my brother."

"Your brother?" Matt repeated, interested to hear more.

"Yes. The three of you told me to stop feeling sorry for myself and stop being guilty of all I have done." A warm, beaming smile stretched up Ken's face. "I even met someone special."

"Who was it?"

Ken wanted to tell him, but Wormmon's existence was something he wished to keep to himself for now. It was one ray of sunshine in his life that he did not feel like sharing with anyone.

"I'd rather not say, if that's okay," he replied.

The blonde nodded kindly. "Of course," he smiled. "Whatever you want to do."

Ken looked down at his watch. It was almost mid-afternoon, and his parents were probably going to get dinner started soon. He had told them he would be back around five and he wished to keep to that time. His relationship with them was still a rocky boat, so he didn't want to do anything that would disrupt it.

"I've gotta go. My parents are expecting me back soon."

Matt slapped a hand on Ken's shoulder. "Alright. I'll see ya."

The Jedi of Kindness started to open a portal back to Tamachi. He was about to walk through it when he realized he was heading back to the area around the station. It was packed with people. Someone could see him! He quickly shut it before anyone noticed the open rift in space.

"Bad idea. Bad idea," he gasped.

"What happened?" asked Matt.

Before Ken could reply, another portal opened right where the Jedi of Kindness had closed his. Davis stepped through and into the bedroom. He smiled at his two friends, unaware of what had just happened.

"Hey, guys," he greeted. "What's up? Man, I'm really getting tired of doing this. I feel like my parents are going to walk in at any moment and see me."

"I know, Davis, but until my dad can work something out, we have to do this for our own safety," Matt explained. "Everywhere we go in public has the potential for something to happen."

"Yeah," Davis shrugged in reluctant agreement. "But it sucks. Who was it that leaked our identities to the media? I'd like to find them and show them a thing or two."

"I don't know. It could not have been someone in our immediate circle though. We all took an oath to lay low. Dad said that he's going to investigate it as much as he can. Whoever did this must have a reason for it."

The three stood silently for a minute. Neither of them could come up with someone who may have leaked their identities. The only people they trusted with their secret were the older Jedi's family members. Neither Ken nor Davis' parents knew their secret.

Ken glanced down at his watch and saw it was getting later. He had to leave. But where could he open a gate to?

"What do I do now?" he asked.

Matt quickly answered, "How about opening a portal straight to your room? That way you don't have to worry about going where crowds of people are."

"Yeah!" Davis agreed. "I've been doing that since yesterday so my parents don't see me, and they have not noticed a thing."

Ken nodded. "Okay."

He waved his hand to open a portal back to his bedroom. Everything seemed normal, but Ken wanted to take a look around just to be safe. He didn't want any surprises.

His bedroom door was still closed; everything on his desk was still neat and in place; and his parents were nowhere to be found. Everything seemed okay. When he looked at his bed, he growled in annoyance.

Reporters waited anxiously outside of the sliding glass doors to his balcony for a glimpse at Ken when he came in the room. Photographers had their fingers on the shutter button, ready to snap pictures the instant he appeared. Ken was used to the attention by the press, but this was on a completely different level. They probably were not there to ask him about being a kid genius this time. He closed the portal again.

"Crap," he growled. "There's media outside my bedroom. I can't get in."

"This is ridiculous!" Davis shouted indignantly. "When are these parasites going to leave us alone? We had nothing to do with those kids' disappearances."

"They're doing it all for the ratings, Davis," Matt said, hoping to assure the younger Jedi. "The thing about these people is they latch on to any junk that they can find and run with it to try and get more people to watch their programs."

"Well, it's not right," Ken replied. "How am I going to get home? Everywhere I could go there is a trap waiting for me." He paused. "Matt, can I use your phone?"

"Uh, sure. It's –"

"Thanks!"

Ken dashed into the living room and grabbed the phone from its receiver. He dialed his home number at the speed of sound and waited for someone to answer the phone.

"_Hello? Ichijouji residence." _Mrs. Ichijouji replied.

"Mom!"

"_Ken? Where are you? Come home. Dinner will be ready within the hour." _

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm at Matt's. I'll be on my way soon," he said. "But there's something I need you to know. Take a look outside the doors to my balcony. I have a feeling that there's a pool of reporters trespassing on our property."

"_What?" _Mrs. Ichijouji shrieked. _"Are you sure?" _

"Call it a hunch."

"_Okay, I'll go shoo them away. Get home." _

"I'm on my way."

Ken sighed exasperatedly as he hung up the phone. That still did not answer the question. How was he going to get home without being seen? Why was all of this happening? So many questions and not enough answers currently.

Matt and Davis came out of the bedroom, surprised to see Ken sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. He muttered "What am I going to do?" rhythmically as his hands ran through his long raven hair.

"What do you think, Matt?" Davis asked. "Got any ideas?"

The blonde Jedi took a second to think. He thought of several scenarios in his head, but quickly came to the conclusion that none of them were feasible. No matter what they tried, it would end the same: The media swarming Ken or having to run away from the police.

Then it hit him. That was it!

"I have an idea," Matt finally said. "Davis and I will walk you home, Ken. Even if the media does swarm you, you will not be alone."

"You guys don't have to do that," Ken said. "I don't want you getting caught up in this too. I'm more than capable of handling it myself."

"Nah, don't worry about it, Ken," Davis interjected. "We're your friends. That's what friends are for. There's no way we are letting you go through this alone. If you're going to suffer, we will too."

"Wait–"

Matt wrapped an arm around Ken's shoulder, silencing his words with an affectionate smile.

"I've got it all planned out," he said with a confident smirk. "We'll take you home and then as the media swarms us, we'll make a break for it and open a portal back home when its safe. What do you say?"

The Jedi of Kindness quietly thought about it. He didn't want to get his friends caught up in the circus that was the media, but he also did not want to go into the lion's den by himself. He gasped as Sam's advice echoed through his mind. Matt and Davis were willing to suffer with him because they cared deeply for him. They saw him as their friend. Sighing, he relented.

"Okay. Thanks, guys. It really means a lot."

"What are friends for, buddy?" Davis beamed his famous smile, wrapping his arm around Ken too.

Ken chuckled, allowing himself to smile too. "Right."

The three left the apartment and went downstairs as calm and smoothly as possible. A handful of people passed them, but none said anything. A quick elevator ride down to the lobby kept the good times rolling as the lobby was almost completely deserted.

"Hopefully this keeps going," Davis said softly, hoping to not draw attention.

"We'll see," Matt replied in a neutral voice. "Luck can change on a dime."

They left the building and out into the cold winter day. The wind blew gently against their faces, giving them only a slight chill. Good thing it wasn't a blustery day or else the walk would have been worse.

Odaiba-kaihinkoen station was right across the street. In a few moments, they would be inside the station and move freely without being confronted. Just in case something went wrong, the three of them carried masks that they would put on to hide their identities. It was such a common thing on the Tokyo Metro that it would not arouse suspicion.

"We're almost there, guys," Matt encouraged. "Just keep going."

Suddenly, the blonde Jedi was violently jerked like a puppet on a string and thrown into the side of the building.

"MATT!" Davis and Ken screamed.

Davis was then picked up and thrown into the building as well. His body slumped beside Matt's.

What was happening?

Ken whirled around for a glimpse at who their attacker was. For a brief second, he saw red, then pale skin before he took a blow to the head. The lights went out for him and he slumped over.

Arukenimon snickered in delight at her success as she caught Ken on her shoulder. The plan worked just as her master said it would. Now, they finally had Ken. She jumped into the back of the truck and closed the door behind her. The truck took off down the street and turned onto the highway before anyone could do anything.

Behind where the truck had been, the driver of a yellow Volkswagen Beetle saw the whole thing. He was stunned at what he just saw: yet another kidnapping had taken place. He glanced at the two boys that were lying unconscious on the sidewalk. A crowd of people slowly gathered around them, wondering what just happened.

Without another thought, he pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of the car.

"Back off. Back off," John Kido ordered the crowd. "Give them some air."

He turned them over to inspect their vitals, and was shocked to see he recognized the blonde teenager. They had not met officially, but John knew him to be one of Joe's friends. The other kid was probably another one of those Jedi he had heard about. The lightsabers hooked to their waists was all the information he needed to make a guess.

John picked them up over his shoulders and gently laid them in the back seat of his car. He turned back at the crowd.

"It's alright. It's under control," he said. "I've got this."

He jumped into the driver's seat and took off to his family's apartment, which was not far away. This was probably Jedi business he was dealing with, so it was better to just have Joe and his other friends handle it.

'_Don't worry, kid,' _he thought, gripping the steering wheel with an iron grip. _'My brother and his friends will help get you back.'_

* * *

Matt gasped as something wet touched his forehead. The throbbing in his head and shoulder made its presence known as his consciousness returned. He wondered what caused them to feel this way. Everything was slightly hazy at the moment, but the soft warmth of the mattress under him was distinctive. His eyes fluttered open slightly with a groan.

Joe dabbed the washcloth on Matt one last time before moving on to Davis, who was still unconscious. The Kido's living room had been turned into a makeshift infirmary with Matt and Davis placed on mats in the middle of the room. Dr. and Mrs. Kido were at work now, so Joe and John were the only ones home.

The blonde Jedi groaned once again and looked at the older teenager with confusion.

"Joe?"

Joe smiled. "Matt. Glad to see you're awake."

The Jedi of Friendship started to sit up, but the older teenager gently stopped him by putting a hand on his chest.

"Ah, ah, ah. Slowly," he cautioned. "You've been unconscious for almost an hour."

Matt glanced to his left. All the other Jedi were piled into the kitchen sipping cups of hot chocolate. They all came straight away after Joe messaged the group that Matt and Davis had been found unconscious and he was taking care of them.

"What happened?" he asked.

John came into the living room and kneeled down beside him.

"Hey, you're awake," the older Kido brother smiled. "Good to see that. You don't remember what happened to you?"

"It's kind of a blur."

"What _do _you remember?"

"Who are you?" Matt hesitated, having not met the older Kido brother before.

"I'm Joe's other brother, John. You didn't meet me before because I wasn't around when the events of three years ago happened," John explained.

Matt glanced at Joe seeing the resemblance and relaxed. He then frowned, digging into his thoughts to remember anything that happened before it all went dark. Everything was still a bit of a blur. His head and shoulder still hurt. He must have taken a hard hit on the head for it to be this foggy.

"I was on my way to see Professor Takenouchi and tell him I figured out what the meaning behind the mural in Kyoto was when I saw what happened to you guys," John informed, hoping it would trigger Matt's memory. "A woman dressed in red and sunglasses attacked the three of you and then took Ken in the back of a truck. It sped off right after."

Something started to emerge for Matt.

"I remember that Davis and I were walking Ken to the station. But then…"

Wait. A woman in red and sunglasses? That sounded awfully familiar. Matt's eyes narrowed. That could only be one person.

"Arukenimon," he growled, pushing the covers off of him and started to stand up. He was a little wobbly initially with the overpowering wave of nausea, but overcame it to get his feet under him He shot straight up, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He didn't see Ken among the others. Panic rose in his chest.

"Ken! Where is he?"

"Take it easy, Matt," John urged gently. "We'll find Ken."

"Enough laying around. Let's get going."

"You're not going anywhere, Matt," Joe replied sternly. "You still need time to recover."

Matt was not having any of it. "My body will heal fine. We have to find Ken before something bad happens to him! Who knows what Arukenimon has planned!"

Davis woke up a second later. His head and back hurt, but the memories of what happened came flooding back to him.

"Where's Ken?" he yelped. "We have to help him!"

"Calm down, Davis," Tai tried to settle the boy down as the other Jedi came into the living room. "Try seeing if you can find where he is with the Force."

Davis nodded and concentrated on finding Ken's Force energy. Someone that was as strong in the Force as Ken should not be that hard to find. It was like a bloodhound finding the scent of an escaped runaway.

But there was no whiff of Ken anywhere.

"I can't find him," he said sadly. "It's like he's disappeared."

The room fell silent. If Ken wasn't transmitting his presence, then something must be horribly wrong. The Jedi could not sit around and do nothing anymore. This was beyond their control.

"Then we need to go out and see if we can find him ourselves," said Tai. "For whatever reason Arukenimon did this, I have a feeling it was not without direct orders from Oikawa."

The others nodded.

John looked around. He counted eleven kids in all, plus himself. His Beetle could seat five people inside, which was not enough for everyone else. There had to be another solution. He suddenly glanced at his brother and an idea came to mind.

"Joe, could you drive Dad's car and take some of the others?" he asked. "I can't seat more than five in my car."

Joe flushed, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "What?" he squeaked. "But I only have my learner's permit! It's against the law to drive without a licensed driver to supervise me. Not to mention Dad will kill me if he finds out I drove his car without permission."

"I'll handle Dad. You handle the driving." John thrust the keys into his brother's hand. "As long as you stop at 'Stop' signs and red lights when you're supposed to, and stay within the speed limit, you'll be just fine."

"But John–!"

"No time for buts, Joe. Ken is depending on us," Matt said, pulling the older teenager towards the door.

The rest of the Jedi followed suit as they separated into two groups. John would take Yolei, Sora, Mimi, and Kari with him, while Joe would take Cody, Davis, TK, and Matt. Tai and Izzy were the odd men out though.

"What will you guys do?" TK asked.

"We'll meet up with you all later," said Izzy. "Keep us posted with the headsets."

Tai nodded. "Yeah. Besides, I like taking the train more anyway."

Kari and Sora chuckled. Trust Tai to always look on the bright side of things, they thought. It was why they both loved him so much.

Despite the reservations, Joe and John nodded in understanding and climbed into their cars. The Jedi of Reliability had driven his father's silver Toyota Camry several times by now, so he was used to the feel and controls. The difference was at least one of his parents was with him every time before. This was the first time he would be driving by himself so he was nervous.

"You guys ready?" he asked.

"Let's get going already!" Davis cried impatiently. "Ken's counting on us."

"Right." Joe nodded nervously and put the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, rumbling beneath his feet like a tiger's growl. The steering wheel vibrated on his palms, building his confidence a little.

Up ahead, the yellow Beetle pulled out of the driveway and took off down the street. Joe pulled the gear shift down to 'Drive' and followed.

Davis and Matt's eyes were fixed firmly on the road.

'_Don't worry, Ken,' _they thought. _'We're coming.'_

* * *

The first thing Ken Ichijouji noticed when he started to wake up was how much his head hurt. It felt like someone had hit him in the back of his skull with the butt of a rifle. Everything else was still a blur, but all he wanted was for the pain to stop.

When he reached up to try and soothe his headache, he found he couldn't lift his arms. Something stopped them from performing their natural motion of retraction. His eyes snapped open.

He was tied up.

Ken tried pulling his arms out from his bonds, but the tightly-pulled cloth refused to yield. He then tried concentrating enough power to take them off, but the pain in his head was too great. He could not focus long enough to untie the bonds.

The floor suddenly bounced up, knocking him off balance. Ken tipped over and fell to the cold metal floor. He was inside the cargo box of a truck. The noise from the wind and the sound of the engine swirled around like he was inside a vacuum cleaner. The nasty, pungent smell of diesel fuel filled his nostrils.

Arukenimon snickered. "Welcome back to the realm of the living, my dear Ken."

Ken glared knives at the woman. "Arukenimon!" he growled. "What do you want with me?"

"It's not what I want," she snickered. "It's what my master wants. You remember him, no? He's been longing to see you." Arukenimon brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Her eyes gleamed with darkness as she stepped aside to reveal something behind her. "But first, let me introduce you to our guests. They were so excited to know you'd be coming."

Ken felt like he was living a nightmare. Twelve children in plain black clothes stood clumped together against the wall separating the truck's cab from the cargo box. All of them stared at the Jedi of Kindness with blank, expressionless eyes. It was like they all had their brains removed, only doing and thinking what they were told to do and think. They all had lightsabers hooked to their waists, much to Ken's surprise.

"Here he is, kids. This is the great Ken Ichijouji," said Arukenimon. "Say hello."

"Hello," the kids said in flat, neutral tones.

Shivers shot down Ken's arms under his sweater. He snarled at Arukenimon.

"What have you done to them?!" he roared, thrashing against his bonds futilely. "Let them go!"

Arukenimon snickered again. "I did not do anything to them," she said innocently. "They came on their own free will. I was just following orders. My master asked me to bring him more worthy children to be trained, and I have."

The lead three children, two boys and a girl, caught his attention. Somehow they looked familiar. Then it hit Ken. He saw their pictures on the news that morning. These were the children that had been kidnapped!

The smaller, brown-haired boy spoke first.

"Wow. Ken Ichijouji. I can't believe it," he said, the right corner of his lips curling in a smirk. "I always thought what it would be like to be you for a day. Then I met this man and he made that dream come true."

"What man?" Ken asked.

Then he felt it. The chilling presence from earlier.

Ken's pupils dilated in fear.

_It was right in the truck. _

Ice seemed to grow on the floor as a low, serpentine laugh could be heard over the wind and engine. Behind the group of children, Yukio Oikawa emerged. His serpent-like black eyes locked on Ken with a look the young Jedi had trouble describing.

"Hello, Ken," Oikawa hissed in a way that could be perceived as friendly. "So nice to see you again."

The boy's eyes widened and he thrashed against his bonds out of instinct. He had to get out of here. Where were his friends? Why weren't they coming to help him now?

"_You!" _Ken growled.

Oikawa snickered and rose up to his full height, towering over everyone in the box. With his purple trench coat and veil of black hair, he looked like a ghost with his pale grey face.

"Nice to see you still remember me, you little traitor," he said in an even voice, but Ken could feel the venom. Oikawa patted some of the children on their heads as he glided towards Ken. "After all, I am the reason you're who you are today."

"Liar!" Ken shot, continuing his fruitless crusade to break himself free. "You only used me like you're using these children now. Let them go!"

Oikawa closed the distance between them and squeezed Ken's cheeks near his lips and his jaw to silence him. He looked the boy over like he was examining an award-winning piece of meat. The smirk returned.

"Mind what you say around the children, Ken." He snapped his fingers. Arukenimon grabbed Ken roughly by the back of his hair. The boy yelped in pain, trying to escape the humanoid Digimon's grip but it was too strong. His eyes met Oikawa's as the man sneered.

"They are _very_ impressionable."

Without warning, he slugged his fist into Ken's cheek. The boy's head snapped to the side. Saliva flew from his mouth at the power of the punch.

"AH!" Ken grimaced. His cheek throbbed from the hit.

He had no time to recover as Arukenimon pulled his head back to face the front. Oikawa stared at him with those cold, unwavering eyes.

"I gave you companionship…and you betrayed my trust."

_SLUG!  
_

Arukenimon swung Ken's head back front to face his tormentor. A bruise was starting to form on his left cheek.

"And now you will pay for your insolence," Oikawa hissed as his fist sailed forward once again.

* * *

Cody felt a familiar presence come into his orbit. Could it be Ken? He closed his eyes and concentrated on the source of the presence. Images flashed before his eyes in fuzzy, unclear definition.

Somewhere in Tokyo, a large grey Isuzu truck was driving northwest to the outer suburbs. Sixteen people were inside of it. Two he recognized to be Arukenimon and Mummymon; thirteen were ones he had never felt before, but one of them was oddly familiar; and finally, the last one was Ken.

The boy gasped.

"I know where Ken is!" he exclaimed in the car.

The other four males in the vehicle yelped, startled by his outburst, but then registered what he said. Hopeful smiles graced their faces, thinking they finally had a breakthrough.

"Where, Cody?" Davis asked.

Cody pointed straight ahead. "It's going in this direction! Keep going straight!" he exclaimed. "The truck is heading northwest."

Joe nodded. "I'm on it, Cody," he said, pushing the gas pedal a little harder. The car picked up speed as they approached the railroad tracks.

Matt clicked the 'talk' button on his headset to let the car ahead of them know what was going on.

"We found where Ken is, guys," he said. "Keep going straight. The truck is heading northwest."

"_Roger," _Sora replied on the other side.

The yellow Beetle picked up speed and cleared the tracks. Just as their car was about to cross over, the red lights went off. Then the gate fell in front of them. A train was coming. No problem, Matt thought. They would just wait for it to pass and then meet up later. Cody was there to guide them.

"Come on. Come on," all five Jedi grumbled, urging the train to get its big metal ass into high gear so they could continue their pursuit.

The Ginza line train sped through the rail crossing on its way to its next destination. Everything felt like it would be over in the next few seconds. It was only a minor inconvenience after all.

The train finally disappeared.

"Alright!" Davis cried. "Come on, gate. Let's get moving."

But the gate did not move an inch from its position. The red lights still blinked left to right. Another signal showed that a train was coming from the south, the same direction the previous one had come from.

Two seconds went by.

Four seconds.

Six seconds.

Ten seconds.

Still, nothing happened. The five Jedi tapped their feet impatiently. Why wasn't the gate lifting? Surely, that didn't mean–

Another Ginza line train zoomed by.

Now this was starting to get ridiculous. Steam practically came out of Davis and Matt's ears. Their friend was in danger and the fates were doing everything possible to keep them from rescuing him.

Another arrow flashed. This time, from the other direction. The train came rushing by on the other set of tracks.

Davis couldn't take it anymore.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

* * *

_SLUG!_

"UGH!"

Ken crumpled to the ground after yet another punch. The whole world spun around him as nausea swallowed him like an ocean wave. Every inch of his face hurt; his cheeks were bruised and swelled to the size of water balloons. Blood dripped from his forehead, lip, and nose, staining the ground under him. Mucus and saliva dripped and pooled around the corner of his mouth, mixing in with the blood.

The boy breathed in labored gasps to try and get reoriented. That didn't last two seconds before Oikawa drove his shin and foot directly into the boy's stomach. Ken cried out in agonizing misery as pain exploded through his midsection. He wanted to press his hands against his stomach, but they were still tied behind his back.

Arukenimon pulled him up from the ground and onto his knees so her master could deliver yet another blow to the young Jedi.

"Stop," he gasped, pain and dizziness overpowering his senses. His eyelids flickered to try and stay conscious. "Please."

"Misery, misery, misery. That's what you've chosen, Ken," Oikawa taunted with a snicker. Ken groaned as the man grabbed him by the throat. "You may think you've changed, but you're not fooling me, Ken. You're still the pathetic little insect I knew you were."

The menacing fiend pulled Ken inches from his face.

"But if you return to me, it'll be just like you never left. We'll forget this whole thing ever happened." Oikawa looked at the group of children behind him. "You'd be a great mentor to our new followers. Show them everything I have taught you."

Despite the pain in his face, Ken mustered up the strength to glare back with a defiant glare.

"I'll never join you again!" he growled.

Oikawa's mouth thinned into a line. While he didn't give any inclination of what he was feeling, the anger boiling inside of him shot out like a sauna. His eyes narrowed into slits at the defiant boy in front of him.

"So be it," he said in a neutral tone. His hands lifted parallel with his chest and lightning shot straight out of his fingertips and into Ken.

Ken screamed in agony as the lightning flowed through him. His body thrashed and convulsed out of instinct as screams and the surging of electricity filled the cargo box. The pain lasted for what felt like an eternity to Ken before finally coming to a merciful end. His body heaved as vomit shot out of his mouth and onto the floor. The look of defiance never left his face as he coughed up whatever else was in his stomach.

"Go to hell," he hissed.

More lightning jolted out of Oikawa's fingers. Ken screamed madly, trying desperately to ride it out as long as he could. Even so, he knew his body would not last much longer.

"I hate to have to do this to you, Ken, but you leave me no choice!" Oikawa shouted over the electric surge and Ken's blood-curling cries. "Become the Digimon Emperor once again and lead my children."

The blue bolts of torture stopped again, but Ken got no chance to recover as Oikawa used the Force to bring the boy before him. The dark figure wrapped his hand around Ken's throat, threatening to squeeze the life out of him.

"If you will not allow him to appear, I will draw the Emperor out of you by force," he hissed. A sick grin grew on the man's lips. "Where is he hiding? Come out, come out, wherever you are."

"HE'S GONE!" Ken shouted through his agony.

""You can fool everyone else, boy, but I smell him deep down inside, and it scares you. The Emperor is crawling his way out of your chest."

Oikawa slowly walked two fingers up Ken's torso from his bellybutton to the middle of his chest. He pressed his index finger into the boy's sternum like he was trying to stab his fingernail into it. Somewhere inside of Ken, he felt the conflict between two polar twins constantly struggling with each other.

"Yes," he hissed happily. "He's still there. I feel him. Emperor, I speak to you and not Ken. Come out and train my children. Be the Emperor you were meant to be."

Ken gagged as air was cut off from the opening into his lungs. He felt his insides being ripped apart and something licking his mind like evil flames of temptation. The Emperor was coming back out. He had to fight it.

"GO TO HELL!" he choked out. All of his strength and desperation went into his leg and shot it forward, colliding with Oikawa's groin.

The man let go of Ken with a grunt of pain. The Jedi of Kindness fell to the ground, desperately trying to get up and fight back. But his leg buckled under his weight and dropped him to the ground. His strength had left him.

Oikawa glared at Ken as he hissed sharply through gritted teeth. He was done playing games now.

"I never wanted this, Ken," he said. "But it seems as though you leave me no choice. You will die."

Ken opened his mouth to speak, but he could not get a single word out as the excruciating sensation of electricity returned. His screams filled the metal cargo box once again, doing little to sway Oikawa from stopping. The man would not stop until the screams finally ended.

'_DAVIS, MATT! HELP ME!' _he shouted in his mind, hoping with everything he had that someone would come to his rescue.

* * *

Davis and Matt gasped as a sharp pain went through their heads. Mixed in with that, they thought they heard a voice calling out to them, pleading for help. They knew that voice.

"Ken," Davis breathed. He looked back at Cody. "Cody, where is the truck? Are you sure we're still going in the right direction? Ken's in trouble. We need to find him soon."

The youngest Destined Jedi looked out the window for any sign of the Isuzu truck he saw in his vision. The two-car caravan was now in the Nerima district of the city. Tai and Izzy had messaged them on the D-Terminals during their journey, so they were up to date on where they were going.

Multiple cars and motorcyclists flew by as Joe drove along the dark, almost-deserted streets of northwest Tokyo. Suddenly, a large grey Isuzu truck bounded down the street.

"I found it!" Cody exclaimed. "There it is! Joe, pull over! I know where they're going."

"Right with ya, Cody," the teenager exclaimed before pulling into a space ahead. The three male Jedi, along with Matt and TK, jumped out of the car and ran along a connecting bridge across the street.

"Sora, we found them!" Matt said into his headset. "I repeat: We found them."

* * *

Ken slowly felt the life drain out of him the longer the lightning continued. Soon, he would lose consciousness, and then he would die if nothing was done. Before he passed out from the pain, he shouted one last name that came to his mind while it was still vivid.

"WORMMON!"

Oikawa felt something slam into his side, knocking him off balance. The force from the hit was strong enough to mercifully interrupt the stream of Force lightning. Something sticky wrapped around his wrists before a small green blur flew at Arukenimon. The woman screamed when it landed on her face, moving all around the box blindly as it blocked her vision. She then grabbed it and ripped it off before tossing it next to Ken.

Through the overwhelming nausea and pain, Ken opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but cleared up within seconds to see the small green shape standing protectively over him. He gasped; his prayers had been answered.

"W-Wormmon?" he whispered.

The Digimon looked back and smiled at him. "Don't worry, Ken. I'll take care of these fiends." His eyes then narrowed at the sight of Oikawa. "I will not allow you to hurt Ken anymore. Stay back!"

The ghostly man cackled. "You and what army, small fry? Ken belongs to _me." _

"Ken only belongs to Ken. No one else."

Ken lifted his arm to try and stop the Digimon before Oikawa did something, but he could not muster his voice to speak. The arm rested back on the ground.

"_Does he? _Well, if you're going to fight his battles for him, then be my guest. Ken will always be weak and pathetic if he has to surround himself with the likes of you."

Wormmon jumped at the man and latched himself onto his face. The small Digimon knew this was a battle he could not win, but he had to buy time for Ken so that help could arrive soon. It was a sacrifice he was happy to make. Oikawa ripped the caterpillar off his face and tossed him against the metal side of the box. As Wormmon slumped down to the ground, a torrent of Force lightning engulfed him in its torturous embrace.

"D-Don't hu–!" Ken choked, but Arukenimon kicked him in the face before he could say more. He cried out as the crack of cartilage was muffled under the electric surge of the Force lightning. His nose was bent sideways, spilling more blood out of his body.

"Silence, you," she said.

Oikawa stopped the lightning after another second. Wormmon's eyes were squeezed shut as he moaned in unspeakable pain. Suddenly, he broke up into a burst of data and disappeared. The man snickered with delight.

"Now with that little pest out of the way," he turned back to Ken, "It's time for me to finish the job."

But as he lifted his hands to unleash the stream that would end Ken's life, the truck came to a dead stop. Oikawa and Arukenimon were confused. Why had they stopped so suddenly? The master moved through the pack of children to open the slot at the back of the cab.

"Why have we stopped, Mummymon?" he growled. "I never told you to stop the truck. Get moving!"

The mummy extended a long, gloved finger up ahead with a look of fear in his eyes. "It's not me. We have company."

Oikawa peered out the slot to the road ahead. The eleven Destined Jedi stood fifteen feet away from the truck. The five younger ones had their hands extended out. He quickly realized what they were doing. They were using the Force to stop the truck.

"Let me handle this," he growled. "You just stay here."

Mummymon's eyes widened. "You're going to face them alone?" he gasped. "But, Master–"

"_Silence!" _

The Digimon thinned his mouth in a line and said nothing further. When Oikawa got angry like this, there was no use trying to talk to him. The man opened the back of the truck and jumped out.

* * *

**What's gonna happen next? Tune in...tomorrow for part 2 on Attack of the Emperor. **

**That's right, guys. I'm giving you all a double shot this Memorial Day weekend to ring in summer. Also because this chapter got way too long to post by itself so I had to cut it up into two parts. I promise that is the last time I will do that this story. So tomorrow at the same time, part 2 will be posted. I will elaborate more on other stuff in that ending authors note. **

**For now, leave a review on this chapter to tell me what you think and also subscribe if you have not. We are going through the middle of turn 4, guys. Almost there. **

**See you same time tomorrow ;-)**


	40. The Dark Jedi

**Here's part 2.**

* * *

"There's nowhere to run, Oikawa!" TK shouted. "Come out now and let Ken go or we will attack."

Oikawa came out from behind the truck with his hands up to show he was not a threat. An enigmatic grin was plastered on his face. The kids that were not acquainted with him gasped. He reminded them of a phantom or a ghost judging by his pale and gaunt complexion.

"No need to worry, Destined Jedi. I am not armed," he said. "There is no need for hostility. We can talk about this like normal people."

Matt grunted at the sight of him. "What's there to talk about?" he growled. "Give us our friend back!"

"Give him right now!" Davis shot in agreement. The other Jedi nodded.

_All part of the plan_, Oikawa thought with a throaty snicker, keeping his face the same. Alone, he was greatly outnumbered. But the time had come to unveil his newest weapon. The Jedi would not know what hit them. For now, he kept to the script.

"Very well," he said shrugging before turning to the back of the truck. "Arukenimon, bring out the prisoner."

A second later, the red-clad female humanoid Digimon emerged, dragging Ken behind her. When she reached Oikawa, she threw the boy forward for everyone to see. Davis and Matt gasped while Yolei screamed at the sight of him. Blood, bruises, and vomit covered Ken's face like he had gone twelve rounds with Mike Tyson bare-knuckled. His eyes were black and blue and nearly swollen shut.

Davis' eyes narrowed in hatred at the man. "What have you done to him, Oikawa?" he roared. "I'll make you pay for this!"

"Davis, take it easy," Matt muttered, planting a hand on the younger Jedi's shoulder. "We'll get him for this, but let's not poke the bear."

Oikawa laughed darkly at the boy's threat. It was a low, cold laugh that made the already chilly air feel twenty degrees colder.

"You insufferable Destined Jedi have gotten in my way for the last time," he hissed. "Now, prepare to face the wrath of my new weapon."

"What new weapon?" TK shot. "You're outnumbered, even with your two lackeys."

Oikawa did not reply as a dark grin grew on his face. Behind him, the children jumped out from the truck and pooled behind him, awaiting his command like the mindless zombies they were. The Jedi gasped. These were the children that had gone missing while the younger kids were in the Digital World. None of them knew what to think. Even the older Jedi were at a loss for words. They had never been forced to face something like this before, so they didn't know how to handle it.

"My Dark Jedi army says otherwise." Oikawa's sneer intensified as he eyed the Jedi a few seconds more. Silence pervaded those few seconds, and without lifting his gaze from them, Oikawa said two words in an even, but cold voice.

"Kill them."

Collectively, the Dark Jedi roared a battle-thirsty cry. Their red lightsabers shot to life as they pounced at their adversaries. The Destined Jedi were so slow to react to the threat that they almost didn't draw their sabers in time.

The power was something to behold. The raw, pure hatred of the Dark Jedi army against the calm, battle-tested Jedi. The difference in this fight was the Dark Jedi had no qualms about having to kill those who opposed them.

Noriko took advantage of Sora's hesitation and landed a punch to the face that sent the Jedi of Love to the ground. The girl kicked Sora's lightsaber away, ready to carry out her master's orders. Before she could land any other attacks, Tai jumped in to protect his girlfriend. The two traded strikes in a dance of death that was strangely even. The rest of the Jedi were on their heels the entire battle; defending every strike that came their way without trying to strike back for fear of hurting or killing their adversaries.

Oikawa threw Ken roughly over his shoulder. His eyes gleamed brightly and a genuine smile rose up his face as his gaze rested on one of the Jedi in particular. Cody bent over backwards to dodge the blood red saber that threatened to slice him in half then blocked another one.

'_Iori. You've come back to me.' _

The man then looked at Arukenimon.

"Keep them away long enough so I can escape," he ordered. "Once I order you two to join me, come."

The Digimon nodded. "Understood, Master."

Oikawa grinned and took off with his captive. Davis dodged a saber thrusting towards his face before he saw the man running away with Ken over his shoulder. Not if he could help it.

"No you don't!" he growled, taking off after Oikawa.

Arukenimon stepped in his way to cut him off. Her arm thrust forward to punch him dead in the face, but Davis was well-prepared for the attack and ducked under it. He had no time for this, so he swept her legs out from under her and resumed his pursuit.

Oikawa sensed the Jedi hot on his tail and cut across into an alley between two buildings near him. This was a shortcut to escape to the other side. He rolled his eyes as Ken's moans filled his ear like a fly buzzing around.

"Oikawa!" Davis yelled as he entered the alleyway. "Come back here and face me like a man! I want my friend back!"

Goosebumps shot up the boy's arm as Oikawa's cold laughter filled the narrow corridor. He couldn't see him, but Davis knew that he was here somewhere with Ken.

"Only if you can find me, pathetic Jedi," the man taunted.

"Okay. Then I will!"

Davis calmed his mind, using the Force to memorize the layout of the entire alleyway. There were plaster walls on either side that led down to a dead end. No other exits were within either, so there was only one way in and one way out. That limited the number of places where Oikawa could be hiding.

Davis' eyes snapped open. Something was right above him, stalking him like a spider waiting for the right moment to gobble up a fly caught in its web. He looked up, drawing his saber to slice through the falling object: A brick.

"_**WHERE ARE YOU?!**_"

Oikawa snickered victoriously as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Finally, he jumped down to land on a deserted side of the street. An escape car sat on the other side of the street. Mummymon was already inside at the wheel. The man looked down at his captive as he laid him on the sidewalk.

"I'll leave the fate of your life in that twerp's hands," he growled. "If you continue to suppress the Digimon Emperor and Davis appears, I won't hesitate to rip your heart out. I grow weary of this pitiful game you're playing."

Ken moaned in response.

Police sirens echoed down the street, heading right for their position. Oikawa growled sharply, sensing Davis coming near his position. Without thinking, he made a break for the car.

Davis came out of the alleyway at that moment and resumed his chase. He willed himself on to capture the fiend if it was the last thing he did. If he could get to him, he would keep the man captive until the police arrived.

"You're not getting away!" he cried, thrusting his hand out to freeze Oikawa with the Force. The man froze in mid-stride.

"Annoying pest!" he growled, shooting off a few strands of Force lightning from his fingers.

Davis screamed in agony as the blue bolts surged through him. This attack broke the Force hold and allowed Oikawa to escape into the getaway car. Arukenimon then jumped into the other seat and the car took off.

"No!" Davis pounded the ground with his fist, frustrated that he let the man escape.

The police sirens got louder and louder as they got closer and closer. Time was quickly running out, but Davis was too busy wallowing in his disappointment. He didn't notice that the other Jedi had gathered behind him.

Yolei darted straight for Ken and kneeled down beside him. She gasped at how bad he was up close. His face had swelled up like a balloon from all the blows he received; his nose was purple and bent at an awkward shape as it still dripped blood after being kicked in by Arukenimon. Tears fell from Yolei's eyes as she rested a hand on his cheek.

"Everything's going to be okay," she whispered, channeling power to heal him. Before she could get very far, Tai stepped in to pick her up off the ground.

"Not now, Yolei," he said. "Let's get out of here."

"But look at him!"

Matt cut off the cloth around Ken's wrists before gently placing him over his shoulder. He smiled an assuring grin to settle Yolei down.

"We'll do it as soon as we can get to a safe place," he said. "Let's go." _'Hang in there, Ken,' _Matt silently urged his young friend. Blood dripped from Ken's face and nose down onto his jacket, but he didn't seem to mind.

The bodies of the police cars could now be seen streaking down the street. The kids had to get moving or else the police would arrest them for their "connection" to the kidnappings. Without a moment to waste, they took off down the street in the opposite direction from the police caravan. They found an overpass just a few yards away and ran up onto the bridge. The kids crouched down out of sight so that the police would not see them.

Matt laid Ken down on the ground and allowed Yolei to begin the process of healing him. The others watched as the police secured the scene around the truck and started taking care of the children.

"Looks like they didn't see us," TK observed. "That was way too close."

Davis still steamed over the fact Oikawa had gotten away. He was so close to capturing him. If only he had kept moving towards him instead of stopping; maybe things would have been different. He slammed his fist on the ground.

"I can't believe he got away."

"We'll find him," Tai said, patting Davis' shoulder. "He'll be back. For now, let's get out of here."

Matt placed Ken back on his shoulder and the Jedi all left the bridge. When they got back to the cars, they found John leaning against the Beetle, looking calm and cool like a Japanese version of Fonzie. He smiled at the sight of his brother and friends, but then gasped when he got a look at Ken.

"What happened to him?" he asked, shocked by all the blood.

"Long story, John," Joe replied. "You could say he went ten rounds and got his butt handed to him."

The older Kido brother grimaced then looked at his watch. It was 10:30. "Yikes!" he exclaimed. "You guys had better get home. Your parents must be in a panic right now." Looking at the younger kids, he added, "I'll take you guys home."

"Thanks," Cody bowed appreciatively. He, Davis, and Yolei got into the car. Matt laid Ken along their laps, figuring he was too weak to sit up in a seat. The girl cradled his head and stroked his cheek.

"How will you guys all get home? Not all of you will fit in my dad's car," John asked the rest of the group.

TK smiled. "Not to worry. We'll just open portals and go back home that way."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

John then nodded. "Okay." He looked at Joe. "Joe, follow me back so we can drop the car off at Dad's hospital. I'll drive you home afterwards."

"Sounds good," Joe agreed before getting into the silver Toyota Camry.

John bid the rest of the Jedi good night as he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. He and Joe drove off down the street as TK and the others headed back to their homes through portals. In the back seat, Yolei finally had space to start healing Ken properly. Her tattoo glowed as the Force flowed out of her hand and into Ken's body. The scratches and bruises started to disappear and the swelling went down. The Jedi of Love and Sincerity pulled her handkerchief out from her pocket and wiped the blood away from Ken's face. The cracking of cartilage filled the car as Ken's nose snapped back into place, allowing him to breathe again. Ken took a deep breath in to get oxygen going through his brain.

"Ken, can you hear me?" Yolei asked softly, still cleaning his face of any blood.

The boy couldn't find his voice so he simply nodded. His eyes were still shut, exhausted and tired from the beating he took. His thoughts traveled back to when Wormmon saved him. He barely saw anything that happened after the caterpillar showed up, but he remembered seeing Wormmon disappear. Terror gripped his heart. Did that mean Wormmon had died protecting him? Not again! He had lost another important person to him. A tear fell down his cheek.

"What happened to you?" Davis breathed. "What did Oikawa do?"

In a weak, scratchy voice, Ken replied, "He wants me to give into the darkness again."

"Again? Why?"

Ken winced as the swelling disappeared from his face. He reached up to touch his cheeks and felt the touch of his fingers resting against them. "Because he is the one who helped me become the Digimon Emperor."

"WHAT?!" Yolei shrieked, forcing her to stop healing Ken. Cody and Davis were stunned into silence. That man was the reason all these events had happened?

"I didn't think he'd return, but he's mad I'm no longer that person," Ken continued.

Davis took his hand and patted it with his other one. "You don't need to worry about him anymore, Ken," he said comfortingly. "I promise."

John kept his eyes focused on the road as he added, "I'll go ahead and take you home first if that's okay."

"Yes, thank you. I'm sure my parents are worried sick."

Over a half-hour later, they reached Ken's apartment building. John and Davis helped Ken out of the car and up the steps to his family's apartment. Even after the healing job Yolei had done on him, he was still very weak and disoriented. The Jedi of Love and Sincerity decided to stay inside the car along with Cody.

The three stood right outside the door and John knocked. They were surprised to see the media mob was nowhere to be found. Perhaps they had all gone home for the evening, thinking Ken was not going to show up that night. Mrs. Ichijouji opened the door a few seconds later. Her hands went to her face once she caught sight of her son.

"Ken, you're home!" she exclaimed, sobbing as she wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Sorry about that, Mrs. Ichijouji," said Davis. "We lost track of the time and forgot to call. Please don't be mad at Ken."

The woman lifted her head from her son's neck, tears still staining her face. "Thank you."

John bowed. "Good night," he said as he and Davis then left to go back to the car.

Mrs. Ichijouji pulled Ken back inside and closed the door. His father stood at the edge of the floor with his arms folded across his chest and a disappointed look on his face.

"Where have you been, Ken?" he said in a stern voice. "Do you know how worried we were? Do you enjoy doing this to your mother? Explain yourself."

Tears fell from Ken's eyes. The feelings of shame and remorse flooded through him as he silently cried. Even after all this time, they still did not trust him. He was tired of all the secrecy. It was time to come clean.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he whimpered. "I'm sorry."

Without hesitation, Ken rolled up his sleeve and showed his wrist to his parents. Their eyes instantly went to the tattoo on it. Both parents gasped in shock.

"You got a tattoo?" Mr. Ichijouji's tone then became harder. "Ken Ichijouji, I am so disappointed in you. We did not raise you to be like that."

"But, Dad–"

"No buts! You are eleven years old for crying out loud! You should not be getting a tattoo in the first place!"

Mrs. Ichijouji was so shocked that she could hardly speak. She looked at her husband and managed to get some words out. "My baby's joined the Yakuza."

"I haven't joined the Yakuza," Ken replied, hurt and stunned by the accusation. "It's not that kind of tattoo. Watch this."

The tattoo glowed a magenta light. His parents were stunned at what they were seeing. This was all too much for them to handle. First their son shows up at home being assisted like he had been out drinking all night; then he shows them a tattoo; and now it was glowing? What was going on here? Neither one could comprehend it.

"I am part of a group of kids that have been chosen to defend not only our world, but this place called the Digital World," Ken explained. "We're called the Destined Jedi. We got caught up in a little trouble tonight and that's why I was so late. I'm sorry."

For a moment, the sound of the air conditioning was the only thing that was heard throughout the apartment. Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji looked at their son as if he had grown a second head. This was too unbelievable. It couldn't be true. Could it?

"That's it!" Mrs. Ichijouji grabbed her son's wrist and pulled him up into the house. "First thing tomorrow, we are getting that tattoo removed and you are not to associate yourself with your friends anymore. You're going to find some normal friends for a change."

"Mom!" Ken protested. "Please! I'll tell you everything. Just let me explain."

"Please do," said Mr. Ichijouji as they escorted their son into the living room.

* * *

"So you see, ma'am, that's why Davis was late getting home tonight," John bowed to Mrs. Motomiya in apology. "Please don't be upset with him."

"Yes. Please don't," Joe copied his brother. "We're very sorry."

Mrs. Motomiya looked between the two and then at her son. With a huff, she folded her arms across her chest in irritation. "Well, I wish someone would have at least called. But thank you for your honesty." She added to her son, "Get inside and take a shower. You stink."

"Yeah. Sure, Mom," Davis nodded and stepped inside. "Thanks, guys. See you tomorrow."

"Night, Davis," Joe replied.

Jun glanced at the doorway from the kitchen. What she saw made her heart stop. The most handsome man she had ever seen stood at the doorway. His dark hair was cut short and well-maintained, and his face looked like the finest craftsman had chiseled it. She needed to know who he was.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, appearing by her mother in less than a second. "I'm Jun, that little monster's sister. Do you have a girlfriend?"

Joe rolled his eyes and groaned. This girl really was as crazy as Matt made her out to be. Not only that, but she was now putting the moves on his brother. A part of him felt extremely jealous.

"We'd love to stay and chat, but we really need to go," he said, pulling John out the door. "We've got that _thing _that Dad wants us to do. Right, John?"

John ignored his brother and pulled his arm out from his grip. He gave a debonair smile as he touched Jun's chin, staring deep into her eyes as he pretended to be heartbroken.

"I'm sorry. I'd love to stay, but you see, my brother and I must leave," he said in a suave voice. "Besides, I have a feeling you're still underage."

Jun pouted as he let go and turned back to leave with his brother. Why couldn't she get the cute guy in the end? It was hard enough to acknowledge that Matt didn't feel anything for her. When was she going to get her due?

"I'll give you a week!" she cried. "If you're still stubborn, I'll go after your brother. He's kinda cute in his own stuck up way."

"No way!" Joe glared at her, his cheeks flushed red, and pulled John away from the door. "Good night."

Jun giggled and closed the door behind her, still star struck from that encounter. Davis emerged out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He frowned when he saw the dumb grin on his sister's face.

"What are you so happy about?" he asked.

"Oh, just that I have two possible boyfriends to choose from," his sister replied, twirling around like a ballerina.

"WHAT?! I thought you liked Matt."

The mention of the blonde brought Jun crashing down from her cloud. Her face narrowed in bitterness and anger. Now, the mere mention of his name was enough to get her blood boiling.

"That stupid boy doesn't want anything to do with me," she raged. "He's in love with some other girl. I don't know who, but a girl can always feel those kinds of things. His loss! I'm done with boys. I'd rather date a mature man like John. Mrs. Jun Kido. That has a nice ring to it."

Davis groaned and stormed away towards his bedroom. He had dealt with too much today. He would rather face Oikawa and the Dark Jedi again than listen to Jun say another word. They were a blessing compared to his annoying sister.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is the most annoying one of all?" he recited, then glared at Jun. "YOU ARE!"

_SLAM! _

"You're so mean!" Jun shouted in a hurtful voice. She too stormed off to her room and slammed the door as hard as she could.

* * *

"So that's the story," Ken said as he finished his tale to his parents. He told them everything ranging from when the lightsaber came to him, how Sam was killed, how he became the Digimon Emperor, and now to what happened tonight. The atmosphere in the room remained tense, but his parents had listened without comment until he finished. Ken swallowed the knot forming in his throat. What were they going to say?

He soon got his answer.

Mrs. Ichijouji looked at her husband with grave concern. Neither of them knew what to think of what Ken had told them. They couldn't tell if he was insane, or if he was still psychologically damaged after running away.

"That does it," Mr. Ichijouji said. "We're taking you in for a mental exam tomorrow, Ken."

Ken's stomach hit the floor. "What?"

"You heard me, young man. Do you think your mother and I were born just yesterday? If you think inventing a wild story is going to get you off the hook, you have another thing coming."

"Dad, it's the truth!" Ken exclaimed. "I swear to you. I can prove it."

But Mr. Ichijouji was not in the mood to listen. He had heard enough. His wife stepped in to add her own two yen to the conversation.

"Not until you're examined by a doctor, Ken," she said firmly. "How do we know this isn't a hallucination resulting from you running away?" She pointed towards the hallway. "Go to bed. Tomorrow, we are taking you to the hospital to get looked at. This conversation is over."

"But–"

"NO BUTS!" Mr. Ichijouji shouted, his face turning beet red. "We have given you chance after chance, Ken. We were willing to look past the fact you're responsible for Sam's death; we were willing to believe you had changed since you came home; and we want to give you the benefit of the doubt, but then you tell us such a ridiculous story. I'm sorry, but we are done giving you chances."

Ken stood paralyzed with panic. He was quickly running out of options. He had to convince them somehow, or else they were going to throw him in a sanitarium. There, he'd probably be put in a straightjacket and given shock treatment. He'd read all about the horrible things that happened in a psychiatric hospital. This was his last chance. Something in the Force told him that he should show them everything he went through. At this point, he was willing to try anything.

"Then I'll just have to show you," he muttered, stepping up to place his fingers on each parent's temple. He channeled the Force to show them everything he had gone through.

The images flashed before the two adults' eyes like they were seeing it in real time. The lightsaber came out of the computer in a burst of light. A creature named Hackmon told Ken that he would not be a Destined Jedi. Blue lightning engulfed Sam as he tumbled over the balcony to his death, then they saw his lifeless body on the ground. A man's face then appeared to them followed by visions of training. Mr. Ichijouji gasped. That was Yukio Oikawa, one of his co-workers. What did he have to do with this?

Conquest. Lightsaber combat. Then the burning sensation of a lightsaber being dragged across the flesh of Ken's face. It was all so horrible for them to watch. Everything else passed by in a rush until the images finally stopped.

Ken removed his fingers and stared at them with no emotion on his face. Showing them was the only way he could make his parents see what had happened to him. They thought he was crazy when he just told them. Now that they had seen it, hopefully it changed their minds.

"Now do you see?" he asked.

For a minute, neither of his parents said a thing as they stared at their son like they had seen a ghost. All those things they just saw…they had actually happened. Now they both understood how Ken got the scar on his face. A wave of guilt washed over them both.

Mrs. Ichijouji burst into tears and rushed forward to hug her son with everything she had, apologizing over and over as she sobbed into his neck. Ken felt tears of his own start falling as he hugged his mother back. He looked up at his father, wondering what he was going to do.

"This is all my fault," the man said sadly. "I let Yukio come to our home."

Mrs. Ichijouji stopped crying. She sniffled twice and wiped her eyes before she could speak. "He always seems so nice though," she said.

"He's not a nice man, Mom," Ken said. "It's just a mask he wears to fool you." He paused. "In fact, he's the reason why I was late coming home tonight. He had someone attack Matt, Davis, and me while they were walking me home and then they took me onto a truck. He was angry over the fact I left him after my friends defeated me and I stopped being the Digimon Emperor. He beat me, then tortured me. He would have killed me too if my friends didn't show up to save me."

His mother and father gasped in horror. The man they thought they knew for so long was revealed to be nothing more than a sadistic, kidnapping monster. The fact he had beaten Ken to within an inch of his life made them even more resolute to see something happen to Oikawa.

"That does it. I'm calling the police," said Mr. Ichijouji as he darted towards the phone. "He is not going to get away with this anymore."

"No, Dad. Don't do that!" Ken pleaded. He released himself from his mother's embrace before running over to stop his father from dialing one-one-zero, Japan's emergency line.

"Ken, we can't just do nothing! He corrupted you; he kidnapped and assaulted you; he almost killed you. Something has to be done about this."

"Honey, call them," said Mrs. Ichijouji. She then looked at her son. "Ken, we're doing this because we want to help you. You have done enough now. Let the authorities handle Mr. Oikawa."

The boy grabbed the phone from his father as he started to dial the number. "No!" he cried. "My friends and I are the only ones who can handle this. Mr. Oikawa has power beyond your wildest imagination. No one can stop him but us." He sniffled as more tears fell. "I'm sorry. I don't want to worry you, but it's the truth."

His mother wrapped him in a warm, tight hug and rubbed the back of his head. Whatever hesitation or fear she had felt before melted away as she hugged her son.

"Ken, we love you and we will do whatever we need to do to help you defeat Yukio," she said. "It's time to let go of the past and move forward as a family."

"Your mother's right," Mr. Ichijouji said as he joined them. He put a hand on Ken's shoulder. "We're here for you."

Ken felt his heart grow three more sizes. He had never been this happy in all his life. His parents supported him a hundred percent. After a lifetime of wondering whether he was truly loved, he finally knew the answer. The family hugged each other for a little while longer before Ken finally bid them good night.

* * *

Ken collapsed onto his bed once he entered his room. As he waited for the warm embrace of sleep to overtake him, Wormmon's sacrifice weighed heavily on his mind. Why did he keep losing people? He finally had something good to happen to him, only to have it be ripped away.

His tears stained the pillow as he silently cried at the loss of his new friend.

"Ken?"

The boy looked up. Wormmon was alive! He sniffled happily and took the small Digimon into his arms, hugging him close.

"You're alive," he whispered overjoyed. "I'm so happy."

Wormmon snuggled into the embrace. "I told you. I will always be there for you, Ken. No matter what. I only disappeared because I sensed the others had come to your rescue. There was no need for me to be there anymore. I'm sorry if I scared you."

A tear ran down Ken's face. "Thank you."

It wasn't long before Ken finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The beige Toyota sedan sped unnoticed along the Tokyo highway while staying within the speed limit. No need to draw attention after everything that just happened a while ago. There were a few cars and trucks, even at this late hour, but not what it was like during the day.

In the back seat, Oikawa steamed over his failure to take Ken as his prisoner. Why had he made the impulsive decision to let him go? Now everything was going to be ruined if he didn't act quick.

"What do we do now, Master?" asked Mummymon as he focused on the road. "That brat is probably going to tell the others of our plan. Everything will be ruined!"

The man's face brightened a little. Maybe some good could come out of this.

"Not to worry, my pets," he hissed. "Our new Dark Jedi have proven themselves more than capable of handling those little brats. So long as things continue to go well, the Destined Jedi will never be safe in public again."

Arukenimon gazed back at him like he had lost his mind. "What do you mean, Master? How does that help? It won't get us one step closer to destroying those pesky Jedi."

"You're much too simple-minded, Arukenimon. So long as the media continues to do my bidding, the Jedi will have no choice but to accept my control of the Digital World."

An image of Cody appeared in the man's mind for a moment. The gears in his brain started turning. An evil grin slid up his face.

"Though, there is one who could be useful. He would be a great asset to us."

* * *

**What does Oikawa have planned next? How will Cody factor into it? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Hope you guys all enjoyed that. Just to clear up some confusion from yesterday when I said this would be the conclusion, I misspoke. I meant the end of the entire chapter, but I understand how that could be misconstrued to mean the end of the story. We still have three chapters to go after this one. Trust me, I am just as anxious to be done with the story as all of you are. I apologize for any confusion. That one is on me. **

**Bet you all thought Wormmon died in part one, did ya? XD I wouldn't do that to him now. For now, stay tuned for what is going to happen next. You are not going to want to miss out. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story if you have not. Almost there, guys. Next time, Cody discovers something about his past. **

**Have a Happy Memorial Day weekend and I will see you guys next week. **


	41. Hida Family Secrets

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Yeah. Hopefully Ken has finally found peace. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Never crossed my mind. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: You'll have to see about that. Thanks for the kind words, Greymon. I'm always glad to read your reviews because you are usually spot on with what I am intending to do. **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Thank you, Odd. Boy, are you going to be in for a surprise. You'll find out what really happened later.**

* * *

**Welcome back, everyone. Hope you all had a wonderful week. We are almost there, but first we have to get some things out of the way first. Thank you for the over 11k views and 226 reviews so far. You guys are awesome! This chapter is going to be very Cody-centered and switches up how this episode went in the series. I'm sure you all will enjoy it. Nothing really too much to say this week other than here we go.**

* * *

"All right. Why did you call us here today, Izzy?" Davis asked as the Destined Jedi settled in to hear what the Jedi of Knowledge had to say. The Jedi of Knowledge called everyone in for a meeting at his house that morning because he had something to show them.

Izzy held up a file that was about two inches thick in his hand. It was slightly heavy, but light enough that he could lift it with one hand.

"This," he said, laying it out on the floor.

The group gathered around to get a good look at the file. Izzy opened it up and a large cluster of paper spilled out. Pictures of the Dark Jedi were attached to the papers, which showed their names, addresses, and anything else the group needed to know.

"How did you get it?" Tai asked, awed by what he saw.

"I found it on my doorstep this morning. Someone left it there because this note was attached," Izzy explained. He lifted up a smaller piece of paper to show everyone. "There was no name."

'_Go get 'em, Destined Jedi,' _the note said. The signature at the end simply read, '_–A friend.' _

Matt scrunched his nose. "A friend? Who is it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Matt," Izzy replied with a shrug. "After last night, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"We can't waste any time. We have to help those children," Ken said. "I won't let them suffer like how I did. I could never forgive myself if something were to happen to them."

"But how?" Yolei asked. "It's like they've been possessed somehow."

Sora perked up. Possessed? That sounded strangely familiar. Where did she hear it before? She gasped. The mural of the hidden shrine at Fushimi Inari. The children on it were said to have been possessed by evil spirits and used demons to destroy their enemies. The "evil spirits" in this case had to be Oikawa. Then that meant Arukenimon and Mummymon were simply the demons used to help them fight.

It all made sense now.

"Oh my God," Sora breathed, her eyes wide with shock. "I think this is what the mural at Fushimi Inari was warning about," she said to everyone else. "These kids are the children possessed by evil spirits. If we don't do something now, then they'll destroy the world along with us."

A collective chill fell over the room. Everyone felt three degrees colder from what the Jedi of Love said. They had heard all about the mural she and Yolei saw in Kyoto, but didn't think too much of it. It sounded like some of the same old legends various murals at shrines tell. After last night, there was no doubt this was all connected.

Tai gazed upon his secret girlfriend with a look asking if she was absolutely sure about it. She nodded wordlessly. He took a sharp breath.

"Then we have to move quickly," he said in a scratchy voice. "Here's the plan…"

* * *

Cody paced around the area in front of Noriko's home as it was his turn to stand guard over her house. So far, nothing was happening inside but that peace would not last forever.

The plan was for all of them to take turns monitoring each of the Dark Jedi's houses and stepping in to settle things down if it got bad. They would all watch for two hours and then rotate on to the next place. Since there were twelve of the Dark Jedi, and twelve of the Destined Jedi, each was given one to look after. Cody was assigned to Noriko's house.

His stomach growled from hunger. It was around lunchtime. A nice bowl of shoyu ramen sounded good to the boy right now, but he performed his duty like he was supposed to. As the Jedi of both Knowledge and Reliability, he had to live up to his virtues. That meant not leaving his post for any reason.

He looked down at the new digital watch he had gotten for Christmas and saw that he only had a few minutes left before someone would come relieve him. He was anxious to get home. Joe would be coming over to check up on him and see how he was doing after going through the forest in the Digital World. It was also bitterly cold with the winds numbing his ears and gnawing at his nose. Not only was he hungry for a warm bowl of ramen, but he also wanted a hot chocolate.

Oikawa, Mummymon and Arukenimon peeked out from their hiding place. The trio hid between two houses that were just around the corner from Noriko's house. The spider woman eyed the small boy like a cat stalking an unsuspecting mouse.

"Well, this is a marvelous surprise," Arukenimon purred, licking her lips in anticipation of the hunt at hand. "Think we should make sure there is one less pesky Destined Jedi we need to deal with, Master? He's all alone."

Oikawa did not share that sentiment as he kept his eyes fixed on Cody. "No. Leave him to me," he said. "I will deal with him myself."

Both Digimon were taken aback by his declaration.

"But, Master, it's three-on-one. We can eliminate him right no–" Mummymon couldn't finish his sentence as he felt his throat closing. He gagged and clutched his throat, finding it difficult to breathe.

Arukenimon's eyes widened with horror. Oikawa was Force choking him. The man still gazed at the boy as he clenched his hand tightly.

"Don't question my orders!" he growled darkly.

He loosened his grip until Mummymon could finally breathe. The mummy fell to his knees and coughed to try and get his breath back.

"Keep your eyes on the other children. This one is mine."

Both Digimon ran off without Cody knowing they were there, leaving Oikawa alone. He waltzed towards the boy and got within four feet of him before Cody sensed his presence and pulled out his saber. He didn't activate it, but still keeping it close.

"You!" he exclaimed, but the man smiled at him.

"It's been a long time, _Iori_," Oikawa pleasantly said, which confused Cody. "My goodness, you've grown since the last time I saw you. You look more and more like your father every day. If only he were here to see this."

"How do you know my name?" The youngest Destined Jedi questioned. No one called him by his birth name anymore, so it caught him off guard. He then put on a determined look and took a step forward. "I won't let you do anything more to Noriko than you already did, you monster!"

Oikawa snickered. "Monster? Dear Iori – "

"It's Cody. No one calls me Iori anymore."

The man shrugged indifferently. "Fine then. Dear _Cody_, is that any way to talk to your godfather?"

For a moment, Cody felt his heart stop. His eyes were wide as dinner plates. He almost dropped his lightsaber from the shock of the statement. Godfather? How could that be true? It didn't make any sense to him.

"That's…that's not true!" He stood defiantly. "I don't have a godfather."

Oikawa's smile widened. "Ah, they didn't tell you, did they?" His eyes narrowed. "Your grandfather always _hated_ that I was your father's friend."

"Impossible!" Cody shot. "My father was a good man. He was policeman who gave his life to defend others. He would never be friends with a horrid person like you!"

"Really? Well, what would you say about this?" Oikawa pulled out a photo of a younger version of himself standing next to Cody's father. They both looked to be about middle school-aged; long before Cody had been born. The young boy had no answer. It was right there in colored film.

"No," breathed Cody.

"You're not wrong, Iori," Oikawa continued. "Your father was a good man. A man I was proud to call my only friend. I know he would be proud of the gentleman you're growing up to be." He gave Cody a surprisingly warm smile. "The day after you were born, Hiroki let me hold you in my arms.

"I still remember that day with vivid clarity," he said as he wiped a tear from his face. "You were the most adorable baby I had ever seen. Then he asked me to be your godfather, and I said yes. It was one of the best days of my life."

Oikawa kneeled down to the boy's level and gazed into his eyes. Cody looked back with a defiant glare. The man reached out with both hands and caressed his cheeks. Cody wanted to turn away, but Oikawa wouldn't let that happen.

"You have so much of Hiroki in you," he murmured, inspecting the boy's features closely. "You have many of his great qualities: Putting others before himself and his rigid moral code. You look so much like him. Except for your eyes of course; they're your mother's."

Cody couldn't believe his ears.

"But if that's the case, then why?" he asked. "Why have you gone down this path you're walking? Father would be so disappointed in you."

Oikawa's mood darkened.

"Blame your grandfather for that," he hissed, his hands lowering away from the boy's face. "Your father was not on as good of terms with him as he probably likes you to believe. Your grandfather hated it when Hiroki made me your godfather, but there was nothing he could do about it. Despite the tension between your grandfather and I, Hiroki always stuck up for me and made my visits pleasant when I would come to see you. Every year on your birthday, up until you were four, your parents let me take you out for us to spend time together."

The man's eyes glimmered as he reflected back on those times. The warm smile returned. "Those were some of the happiest times of my life. After your fourth birthday, I left Japan for several years wandering to find myself. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but your dad encouraged me to go out and find it. It was hard being away from you. I thought about you every single day, Iori, and hoped you were growing into a good young man."

Oikawa's eyes became dark and bitter once again.

"When your father died, I offered to come back and help fill the hole that Hiroki left. To be there for you and your mother like I had promised him. Instead, your grandfather cursed me. He threatened to harm me if I ever tried to see you again," he wiped an angry tear away, "So I left. If you want someone to blame for why you never had a true father in your life, he is the one."

"No. Grandfather would never - " Cody was so confused. Who was telling the truth? Could Oikawa actually be right? Or was this just a trick to turn him against the others like Oikawa tried with TK? It didn't matter. He was not going to let this strange man get to him. "You don't know me!"

"Don't believe what lies you've been told," Oikawa then looked up to the window of Noriko's bedroom with that wicked grin that sent chills down Cody's spine. A powerful rage radiated off of the house. "She's certainly coming along nicely. They all are. Soon, you and your pesky little friends will be no match for them."

"You tricked them!" Cody regained his composure and activated his lightsaber. The green blade illuminated his green eyes as it hissed with anticipation of what its wielder was about to do. "You're just using them for your sick plan!"

"I didn't trick them," Oikawa shot back, calm and cool as ever despite the blade humming near him. "I gave them what they wanted. They wanted to be special."

"You seem to have left out the part of turning them into twisted Dark Jedi who do only what you tell them! Or the part about them being disposable!"

"Maybe you're right," Oikawa shrugged, "but I can't help that."

He turned around, licking along the front of his top teeth. He sensed the boy's emotions, which were a conundrum of uncertainty. Now was the time to have some fun with him.

"I can feel your anger building, Iori," he sneered. "Your father had plenty of it too. My back is to you now. I am unarmed. End my threat once and for all."

Cody growled and charged forward as he planned to end everything right here and now. However, he stopped the blade mere centimeters from Oikawa's side.

"Striking an unarmed man in the back. What would your father say about that?" Oikawa smirked. He knew Cody's pressure points and was prodding deep with his words. "Go on. Do it."

The boy didn't say anything as he gazed at the tip of his green lightsaber blade. It nearly touched the man's dark purple coat. What was he doing? Why couldn't he bring himself to finish the job? If he did do it, then he would be betraying everything Joe had taught him. The older Destined Jedi had become the father figure he had been desperately craving for in their time together. Cody nodded confidently. He was not going to do what Oikawa wanted him to do. Murdering unarmed people was against the Jedi code.

He retracted his lightsaber with a sigh of defeat.

Oikawa chuckled darkly.

"I knew it," he hissed, then started to walk away. "Try and stop me all you wish, but I truly don't want it to come to that. I will leave you with a choice though." He turned back around and reached his hand out to the boy. "I extend my hand out for you to join me, Iori. Let me help you like I should have done before your father died. He would have wanted this, Iori. Let me fulfill Hiroki's wish."

That warm smile appeared on his face again, almost seducing Cody into believing he could trust him. The boy eyed the pale gray hand with a look of distaste. His green eyes narrowed.

"Forget it!" he declared.

Cody immediately turned and ran away, fearful that he would fall victim to Oikawa's words and influence. He ran as fast as he could back home. His grandfather would have answers for him. He had to.

* * *

Chikara Hida hummed a mournful chant as he stuck the incense stick in the holder before his son's shrine. Smoke drifted off the burning end of the stick and filled the room with the pungent smell. The old man pressed his hands together and sat quietly in prayer.

Cody burst through the door and shut it right behind him. He pressed his back against the cold metal door, panting heavily. His chest heaved to get precious oxygen to his lungs. Home sweet home. He was safe. Cody quietly peeled the winter layers off of him and took off his shoes before stepping up into his slippers. The smoky, jasmine smell of incense tickled his nose as he stepped into the living room. His grandfather was still kneeling and praying quietly to the shrine.

'_Should I ask?' _he wondered. _'Grandfather would probably know this better than anyone. But then again…' _

His mind was still trying to wrap around what Oikawa had told him. Maybe this was all just a trick and the man was lying about what happened. Something about him just didn't sit right with Cody. He kneeled beside his grandfather and started to pray.

The soft sounds of Cody's knees settling onto the tatami mat floor reached Chikara's ears. He perked up and opened his eyes to look at his grandson. The man had not been expecting the boy to come back home so soon.

"Cody," he said. "Back so soon?"

Cody hesitated in his response, but managed to nod and mutter a "Yes."

"Did something happen with you and your friends?"

"Not really, but–" Cody's words failed again as he tried to explain what had happened.

"But what?" his grandfather asked gently.

The boy took a deep breath before he spoke. "Grandfather, I met a man today. He said some things that were…" A brief pause as he gathered his thoughts, then continued. "I have some things I want to ask you, but I don't know if I want to know the answers to them."

The old man stared at his grandson in bemusement. Cody was never one to beat around the bush like this; he was usually very blunt and forthright, even for a nine-year-old. Whatever happened today, it must have shaken him up badly. Even so, he gently prodded to get Cody to keep talking. A dark feeling washed over him.

"Who was this man? Did he tell you his name?" he asked. "Whatever happened, Cody, I will take care of it."

Cody swallowed his nervousness and mustered up his courage to speak. In a firm, even tone that masked his remaining nerves, he asked, "Grandfather, do you know a man by the name of Yukio Oikawa?"

Dead silence.

Chikara's face was frozen in permanent shock. Yukio Oikawa? That was a name he had not heard in years. Flashbacks of events that happened long ago passed before his eyes. He gazed down at the floor with sad eyes. He hoped that this day would never come to pass, but here it was. Staring him right in the face.

Cody sensed the unease from his grandfather and was about to say he should just forget the question when the man finally answered.

"Where did you hear that name?" he asked.

"He introduced himself to me," Cody replied. "The things he told me about you and Dad–" A chill shot through him. "Grandfather, did you really keep me from him after my father died?"

"I only did what I thought was best for you, Cody. I never liked him from the time he and your father were schoolboys. There was always something off about him that unsettled me. I went so far as to forbid your father from seeing him but, as I learned later, they continued to see each other when they became adults." Chikara took a shaky, regretful breath. "We all make mistakes, Cody, and that is one that I regret with the passage of time."

His grandson stayed in his kneeling position mystified by what he said. Cody felt even more uneasy. His grandfather knew something was off about Oikawa when he was young?

"Why do you think they were best friends?" he asked. "What made them click? If he was as off as you say he was, what made my dad want to be his friend?"

"In hindsight, I think it was because your dad pitied him. From what he told me later, Yukio was always lonely. Hiroki felt sorry for him and became his only friend. As their friendship grew, it was a common bond over a _Star Wars_ game that really brought them closer. He and your dad would spend so many hours playing it that it became troubling to me."

Cody fought the urge to smile. He always knew his father loved _Star Wars_. In fact, the last big thing they did together before he died was go see _The Phantom Menace _in theaters. Then the gravity of his grandfather's statement hit him, which alarmed him.

"You were worried over a _Star Wars_ game?" he almost chuckled. "Grandfather, it's just _Star Wars_. What's so wrong about that?"

"It was more than that, Cody," Chikara said, gazing at his grandson with a serious face. Cody stopped chuckling to listen. "It was not just your typical game. Those two were fully interacting with it like it was real life. Whenever I would overhear them playing, it sounded like they were having an actual adventure rather than just playing a game. Yukio took to it especially. Eventually, I had to put my foot down because it was scaring me."

Cody touched the lightsaber on his waist, glancing down at the weapon for a split second. "An actual adventure," he whispered.

"Why do you ask? What did he tell you?"

"Grandfather," Cody paused, then took a deep breath. The words sounded so unbelievable to him as he was about to say them. "He wanted me to go away with him. He wanted me to give him a chance to be my guardian the way that Father wanted it to be."

Chikara looked at him with an expression that seemed to say _"You didn't! Please tell me you didn't say yes!" _

Cody threw his hands up defensively. "I said no, of course. Don't worry. It seems like he gave off the same uneasy feelings back then like he did today."

Then he thought about what his grandfather said about Oikawa being lonely. Was it possible he was just a sad soul who needed to be shown kindness? Cody started to think it was possible to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Is there any way he's just a man with an awkward personality?" he asked. "You did say you made a mistake."

"So he has come for you after all," the older man muttered before speaking in a clear voice. "After I sent him away, he disappeared. Now it sounds like he's back. He did say I was never going to stop him from fulfilling Hiroki's wish." Seeing the alarmed look on the boy's face, he smiled and patted his grandson's hand. "Don't worry, Cody. I won't let him get anywhere near you or your mother."

Cody nodded, but he was still uncertain. His question about Oikawa's personality had not been answered. One look at his grandfather's face told him that there were some things the man would rather not talk about.

"Grandfather, was it a mistake?" he repeated.

"There is no changing the past, Cody. I'm the one who has always been here for you and your mother since your father died and that's how it was meant to be. I love you, and nothing will change that."

"I love you too, Grandfather," Cody echoed.

"Promise me that you will stay away from that man. He's dangerous and unstable."

"Okay. I'll make sure to stay away if I see him again."

Chikara smiled. "Good boy," he said, patting the boy on the head. He turned back to the shrine in front of him and started to pray once again.

Cody wanted to join in, but there were still lots of things he needed to have answered. And he knew just the place to ask them. He uncurled from his kneeling position and stood up. His legs felt numb for a few seconds after holding the pose for a long period of time.

"I'm going to go visit Father's grave," he said, walking towards the door. "I'll be back later."

"Okay. Be careful," said his grandfather.

* * *

The air always felt ten degrees colder in a cemetery than anywhere else. If the temperature outside today was hovering around 4 degrees Celsius, then it was below zero. The sun was starting to set, delaying the typical scene of a cemetery at night for just a little while longer. Was it any wonder that graveyards were always written as dark, cold, dismal places in countless works of fiction? Cody thought so as he carried a bouquet of flowers down the stone-laden path past several tombstones to the one his father's was at.

Cody had not been to his father's grave since he and his family came on the anniversary of Hiroki's death back in July. He always felt uncomfortable coming here; it always served as a reminder of his own mortality and how short life is. Some day, his ashes would be laid to rest in a place very similar to this one. The one difference Cody hoped would happen was if he died an old man surrounded by his family rather than be murdered and leaving his own son to do what he was doing now.

His thoughts suddenly went to Oikawa as he reflected on his grandfather's words. Was Oikawa was just a misunderstood man? Chikara did say that he was a little odd in some ways, but he didn't sound evil. Maybe he was still mourning the loss of his only friend. Dare he say, that made Cody sympathize with Oikawa even more despite what he did to Ken the other day. During their confrontation earlier that day, Cody saw a sparkle of warmth and affection in Oikawa's eyes as he talked about when the boy was little. There was a heart under that cold, hard exterior. A heart that had been broken and stomped on more times than Cody could even imagine. Hopefully he could find a way to mend it and find a way to accept Oikawa back into his life. Maybe he would turn away from the darkness that had consumed him for years.

A soft, hiss of a voice reached Cody's ears as he rounded the corner to where he knew his father's grave to be. It sounded familiar, but when he saw the tall, dark figure standing in front of a tombstone, it was confirmed.

Oikawa!

Cody hid behind a random grave marker without making a sound. He held his breath for several seconds to make sure the man had not heard him. The unchanging tone of Oikawa's voice suggested he did not sense anything out of the ordinary. He slowly and silently let go of the breath he held and listened to what Oikawa was saying.

"If only you could see your son now, Hiroki. He's so much like you. Maybe you brought the two of us back together as a way of telling me to take him as my own," the man said in a sad, hopeful voice. Tears fell down his pale grey cheeks as he then frowned. "Unfortunately, the one who stands in my way has erased me from his memory. Iori has grown up without a father in his life for too long. Not anymore.

"I will follow through with your wish and raise Iori as if he was my own. No one will stand in my way this time. I was too weak when your father threatened me and turned me away, but I'm stronger now. Stronger and wiser than ever before. I can do things that you and I only dreamed of." Oikawa looked down in sadness, swallowing the knot in his throat. "I sense Iori doesn't trust me. What do I need to do to change that, Hiroki?"

He looked up, gazing mournfully at the kanji that spelled out "Hida" on the tombstone. Oikawa wished his best friend would appear out of the black marble like nothing had happened and tell him what to do, but knew that was impossible. Hiroki Hida, his only friend, was gone forever. The only thing he had left in this world was Cody. Without him, he had nothing to live for.

"Iori seems to be wise like you were. He is only nine, but the way he studies people and his surroundings before speaking reminds me so much of you," he said. "I should tell him of our friendship and that I wish to build one with him too."

Oikawa gasped. The wheels in his brain turned rapidly to form the new plan that took root inside of him. A wicked smile spread up his face. This had to work. Once it was over, he would have everything he ever wanted.

"That's how he'll trust me!" he exclaimed. "After some time together, he'll finally be able to see the hypocrite that was your father."

Oikawa turned and walked away from the gravestone. The smile grew more sinister as a wicked glint shown in his eyes. He stopped at the edge of the path that led that bisected with the one leading out of the cemetery. Cody slapped a hand to his mouth to stifle his breathing so the man didn't hear him. Just one glance to the right and he would be seen.

"I'll become his true father figure and show him true power so that no one can separate us again," he heard Oikawa growl under his breath. "I'll just simply get both of them out of the way so that no one can stop me. Iori will be mine and mine alone."

The man then turned left and walked down the stone path out of the cemetery.

Even though he was gone, Cody still kept his mouth covered. He felt like his guts had been ripped out of him along with his heart. If he had heard correctly, it meant…

White hot anger shot through him, the likes of which he had never felt before. Cody slammed the bouquet of flowers down on the ground. Angry tears dripped down his cheeks. No matter what happened from this point, he would stop at nothing to protect his family. No fiend, even if it was his godfather, was going to tear him away from his mother and grandfather just to satisfy their own selfish desire.

'_I will stop you.'_

* * *

Noriko Kawada frowned as she walked down the street the next day. She could sense that someone was following her. The girl looked behind her to get a glance at who it was, but no one was there. No use making a fuss out of it now, she told herself, for they would soon out themselves.

Ken stayed put behind the telephone pole until Noriko finally turned her head back forward and walked on. He silently followed, ducking behind lampposts and telephone poles that were strung along the sidewalk. He had to find a way to convince her to turn away from the darkness before it was too late. Oikawa was using her the same way he had used Ken.

Ken emerged from behind the pole and walked further down the street until he passed the high walls of a shrine. Noriko was gone. Where did she go? He didn't have to wait long as he passed by the entrance. The girl stood at the entryway with her arms folded across her chest.

"You're Ken Ichijouji, right?" she snapped. "Why are you following me?"

Ken grimaced. She knew he had been following her this whole time. Well, guess it was time to face the music.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "But I need to tell you something. Something you need to know before it's too late."

"Something _I _need to know?" Noriko scoffed. "Oh, please. You're nothing but an insect to me now. You betrayed Oikawa after he gave you everything you could have wanted. Why, so that people would like you?"

"_Who is she to call you an insect?" _Ken heard the Digimon Emperor whisper in his ear. _"She's the worthless little insect, Kenny. Teach her what happens when she dares to insult us." _

'_Shut up!' _he mentally snapped back before saying out loud to Noriko, "No, so I would like myself. All that power gave me nothing but loneliness, Noriko. This is not the answer."

"I suppose the answer is having people that love you, right? Give me a break. Oikawa has given me everything I could ever want."

"You don't know him the way that I do. Once he's finished, he'll just toss you away and not think anything of it. He's using you."

"How dare you insult my master! Because of him, I can do anything now!" Noriko shot, getting dangerously close to Ken's face. He felt her saliva landing on him with every word she said. "Poor sick little Noriko. She can't come out and play because she's down sick with something or other. Why should we all bother asking her to play with us when she's sick all the time? She's nothing but a freak!"

The girl took a shaky breath after completing her tirade. Ken felt the bitterness and anger as her face twisted while she talked. Once Noriko got control of herself, she continued speaking.

"Well, not anymore. Are you just jealous that you're not his favorite student anymore? Is that why you're telling me this? Just bug off and leave me alone." She shoved him before storming off into the shrine's courtyard. "See ya later, insect boy."

Ken felt the Emperor taking back control of his mind. His breathing became heavier and sharper; his teeth grinded together like a machine making ground beef. His hands tightened into fists and shook with trembling anger. Maybe it was his intense desire to save Noriko from the fate that awaited her if she kept down this path. Or maybe it was the anger from being insulted and shoved. Either way, he was not going to let her escape until he finally had a chance to give her a piece of his mind.

Ken stomped after the girl and grabbed her roughly by the wrist. "Now you listen here!" he growled.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Noriko shrieked, wrestling her arm out of his grip.

Her raw emotions suddenly exploded out of her, blasting Ken back into the courtyard's surrounding plaster wall. Noriko sneered at him with a dark grin and activated her blood red lightsaber. She darted right for the fallen Jedi, anxious to plunge her saber right through his chest and earn her master's praise.

Ken pushed himself up from the ground and brought his purple lightsaber to life. This was his first chance to use it in combat. It stopped the blow before the red saber could pierce through his chest. The two pressed against each other, testing their strength and seeing who could overpower the other first. Ken was calm, but the Emperor was banging on the door, desperate to break out and take over once again.

Noriko forced their arms up with a grunt and kicked Ken in the stomach. The Jedi of Kindness recoiled, placing a hand on his stomach while not taking his eyes off Noriko. The girl yelled out a vicious cry as she leapt right at him. Their sabers met in an explosion of laser bolts.

The longer the duel dragged on, the more that Ken's mental defenses started to fall. He felt the Emperor bleeding into every single strike that he threw at Noriko, becoming frustrated that she refused to listen. He was not only fighting her, but also the war inside his head.

The female Dark Jedi tied up their sabers and punched Ken in the jaw. As he stumbled to the side, Noriko smelled blood and went for the kill. She raised her saber high over her head to finally strike Ken down.

She stopped.

Ken glared back at her with a bloodthirsty look in his eye. A smirk slowly rose up his face as a mixture of chuckling and heavy breathing escaped his mouth. The Emperor was coming back. He lifted his saber and charged for his target. Noriko was so shocked by what she saw that she couldn't raise up her defenses in time. Ken's attacks struck like a ten-ton freight train speeding down the tracks, knocking the inexperienced saber user backwards every time one hit.

Ken elbowed Noriko in the stomach, sending her back even further. The girl hissed through gritted teeth as she raised her saber to defend herself. The purple blade sliced through the metal hilt, rendering the weapon useless. Ken topped it all off by blasting her with the Force, sending Noriko almost clear across the courtyard.

He had won.

Ken now stood above Noriko, a fire still burning in his eyes. The purple lightsaber blade hung mere inches above her neck. One gesture of his wrist and the girl's head would separate from her body and spill across the ground. But Noriko, even while disarmed and at his mercy, still had a sick smile on her face. She had him right where she wanted him.

"Heh, I'm defenseless," she taunted him. "Kill me!"

Ken kept his blade steady, breathing heavily from the surprising physical toll of the duel. Even at his best, his opponent was able to handle whatever he threw at her.

"You can't do it, can you?" Noriko started to laugh. "How weak you've become, Emperor. Oikawa has told me many things. You didn't show this hesitation when you _murdered_ your brother."

Ken's eyes widened, nearly dropping his lightsaber from the shock of the statement. A false look of surprise crossed her face.

"Oops. Did I say too much? No matter. He was nothing but a worthless insect in the end. I'm glad you killed him." Noriko cackled wildly.

Ken felt the rage from the Emperor digging its claws through his skin and crawling its way out as Noriko continued to laugh in sick glee. The Digimon Emperor had fully returned.

Everything went red as the Emperor's hand forced itself around Noriko's throat. The girl let out a shriek in surprise before being lifted off the ground. The tyrant squeezed his hand as hard as he could to constrict the life out of her. The sound of her gagging couldn't reach his ears due to the blood pounding on his eardrums. The Digmon Emperor glared Noriko dead in the eyes. The girl's black orbs widened as his own began to show hints of yellow and red under the icy blue irises. All her bravado was gone, replaced by the fear that she might die today.

"Not so tough with my hand around your throat, now are you?" he growled terrifyingly low. "You want to see me not hesitate, then I won't hesitate." His eyes glinted darkly, taking great delight in Noriko's suffering. "They say 'Beware the Jabberwock', right? Well, _I_ am the Jabberwock."

"Good, Ken. Good." The Emperor's turned to see Oikawa walking over to him and Noriko while clapping his hands. "Your hatred is your greatest strength. The Digimon Emperor is your true form. Now, strike her down! Return to my side once more."

Noriko's eyes widened in surprise. Her master was just going to let her die? Why wasn't he helping her? Was she really not important at all to him? She couldn't believe it.

The Emperor glanced from Oikawa back to Noriko. The girl tried in vain to pry his tightly clenched hand from her throat, but his grip was like iron. She pleaded with her eyes for him to let her go. His anger rose ten-fold as what she said about Sam rang in his ears. He tightened his hand even more and pointed his lightsaber directly between her eyes.

"Better you than me," he sneered. "Sorry."

"Don't do it, Ken!"

The Digimon Emperor snapped out at the sound of Davis' voice. He felt not only Davis running towards him, but also Cody, Joe, and TK. Noriko's face twisted in agony as she struggled to breathe. She was ready to pass out at any second.

"Don't fall for his lies again!" Davis shouted. "You're better than this!"

Oikawa growled. "You meddlesome Jedi. Stop interfering!"

"Ken, let her go!" Joe ordered as he and the others surrounded him.

"No!" the Digimon Emperor fumed, his eyes never leaving Noriko. "She needs to die for what she said!"

SMACK!

He recoiled as his cheek stung from the slap. Davis glared at him with ferocious anger.

"STOP IT!" he roared. "LET. HER. GO."

That slap returned Ken to his senses. His mouth dropped in horror at the hand tightly grasping Noriko's throat and the lightsaber between her eyes. Finally, he withdrew his lightsaber and released her from his grip. Noriko fell to her knees, coughing heavily to get her breath back after almost being choked to death. She rubbed her throat to try and massage the pain away.

"Your usefulness has ended," Oikawa hissed with a wave of his hand. A blue stream of energy flowed out of her body and was absorbed into his hand. When it ran out, Noriko fainted. Joe and TK quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

Davis wrapped his arm around Ken to keep him tethered and not let him succumb to Oikawa's manipulations again. Cody looked at Oikawa with a death glare and took a step forward.

"Welcome back, Iori," the man greeted pleasantly. "I've missed you."

"You!" the boy hissed with anger. "You should be disgusted with yourself! What you've done, and what you have planned to do. I don't know what happened to you, but Father would be ashamed with what you've become!"

Oikawa smiled coyly. "I'm confused. Just what was it that I planned to do?"

"You wanted to kill my mother and grandfather just so you could have me all to yourself!"

Joe and the other Jedi gasped in horror.

A twitch of anger crossed Oikawa's face. The young boy was as smart and intuitive as he imagined. Certainly, they were gifts from Hiroki. "You know so little, Iori." His face then shifted to one of compassion a second later. "I only want what is best for you, like a godfather should."

"How is killing my family wanting what's best for me?" Cody shouted. Tears of anger stung his eyes and dripped down his cheeks. "You tried to turn me against them! You're a monster!"

"You silly, silly boy," Oikawa chuckled with a shake of his head. "My offer still stands though. Join me." He held his hand out. "It's what Hiroki would've wanted. Please, let help you."

"YUKIO!"

The air grew quiet as everyone turned. Cody's grandfather was now a few dozen yards away and walking towards the group.

"When Cody told me what was going on, I couldn't believe it. I knew you were always quite troubled, but I never suspected you would fall this far, Yukio." Chikara said as he got closer.

"No! Grandfather, run away! Don't get close to him!" Cody pleaded.

"You made a grave error showing your face around here, Chikara." Oikawa had a sick grin on his face as he looked at the older man walking towards him. "Especially after the way you treated me."

"Perhaps I did. It wouldn't be the first grave error I've made in my years." Chikara stopped when he was only several feet away from Oikawa. "It has been a while though. How have you been?"

Everyone was honestly surprised by the formal question. After everything Cody had told them about their history, they expected Chikara to be more hostile to the man.

Oikawa was caught off guard for a second, but his sick grin grew even wider. "About to feel really good in a moment." The children knew very well what the dark man was insinuating.

"I see," Chikara sighed, sensing the dark energy radiating off him. "Yukio, the reason why I'm here right now is to say I'm sorry."

Oikawa's eyes widened when he said that. "Wha-"

"We never got along, and I never cared for you much. That's no secret. Even though you were Hiroki's friend, I thought with all the stuff you two were saying as kids about wanting to go to the Digital World that you were trying to corrupt him or something. Looking back now, maybe it was the other way around.

"Hiroki always spoke highly of you and your friendship with him, but I was stubborn and refused to accept you. Hiroki actually nearly disowned me because of you, did you know that? After Cody was born, Hiroki told me that he wanted to make you his godfather. I said no, but he told me he wasn't asking for my blessing and did it anyway."

Cody was shocked to hear that. He always thought his grandfather and his dad were so close. They almost split because his father refused to give in and stood by his convictions? How come he had never heard this before?

"It was actually a week before…" Chikara swallowed a knot, "…_it_ happened. Hiroki and I had a long talk. He asked, no, _begged_ me to put all this animosity behind and finally accept you. Somehow, I got the feeling that he knew he wasn't coming back from London alive."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he remembered the last conversation he and Hiroki had. Cody saw the sadness in his grandfather's face. Oikawa stood quietly, listening intently to every word.

"After his death, I was so wrought with sadness. Then you showed up. You explained everything that Hiroki asked of you: About being there for Fumiko and Cody to try and help carry on his wishes. But I was so filled with anger, as I thought that you were trying to replace him, that I cursed you that day."

Chikara took another deep breath. "I've realized now how wrong I was, and I know there are many things that have happened because of my foolishness, but I want to try to make amends. Yukio, I know that you're probably too far-gone and that you're going to do whatever it is you're planning, but I just wanted to say that I'm deeply sorry. For everything." A tear fell down the old man's cheek. "I'm practically an old man now, and I know I don't have as many years as I probably would like on this earth, but I want to at least make amends before that time comes."

Everyone was silent once again after that. No one said a thing or even moved an inch. Oikawa looked down at his feet as he seemed lost in thought.

"You're right," he finally spoke, his eyes narrowed with hatred. Something shot out from under his sleeve and into his hand. The group's eyes widened. A lightsaber. "That time will come sooner than you thought!"

His blade ignited suddenly, unleashing the red blade within. Oikawa darted for the man and thrust his saber forward, expecting it to sink right into Chikara's chest. The man stood completely still, as if accepting his fate.

"NO!" Cody screamed before jumping in, his green lightsaber blade emerging to stop the blade from touching Chikara. He put all of the strength his small nine-year-old body would allow into keeping Oikawa at bay so his grandfather could escape.

"Grandfather, run now! Get away!" The young boy ordered.

Chikara nodded before running to a safer distance. Davis and TK ran back to guard him in case something happened to Cody. Oikawa gritted his teeth in frustration. The source of all his pain was getting away.

"Iori, let me through!" he growled as he tried to push his godson back. "He is using you! Please! I don't want to fight you!"

Cody did not budge a step. "No! You may have been my father's friend, but he would never approve of what you're doing. I could never align myself with a murderer!"

He elbowed the man in the stomach and used the Force to push him back. Oikawa hit the ground a few feet away with a muffled thud. His face twisted in pain as he clutched his stomach. He turned his head to stare back at Cody with tears in his eyes.

"Iori, you're not seeing things clearly like I have. I just want to fulfill Hiroki's wish," he blubbered. "Please. Let me be the father you lost."

"No," Cody declared. He glanced back to Joe, who smiled at him. "I already have someone for that role. And while Joe will never truly replace my father, he's a thousand times the man you'll ever be!"

Oikawa kept his arms pressed against his stomach as he stumbled to his feet. The sadness and hurt on his face were replaced by pure, hot hatred. His onyx eyes glowered at the five young males and Cody's grandfather.

"Fine," he hissed. "If that's the way it is going to be, Iori, then it's your funeral. Literally. The next time we meet will be the last."

Oikawa took off and ran without another word. Cody broke out into a sprint to catch up to him, but Joe held the young boy back.

"Joe, let me go!" he cried, thrashing against the Jedi of Reliability's grip. Oikawa was not going to get away with his plans. He wouldn't let him.

"Cody, settle down. We'll get him," Joe replied, quieting his young friend. "But people like him are dangerous. We can't go into this alone."

"Yeah, but –"

"It's alright, Cody. He's not going to get away with this." Ken added. He looked at Noriko, who was still unconscious in TK's arms. "But we need to get her back home. She looks terrible."

Reluctantly, Cody nodded his head and followed his friends as they left the shrine. His gut told him that it would indeed be the last time he and Oikawa faced each other. But who was going to come out alive? Not even his visions could tell him.

Soon, it would all explode in one last confrontation.

Someone was going to die.

* * *

**There's a deep chill in the air. What awaits the Destined Jedi next as they prepare for the final confrontation? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**Hope you all enjoyed that chapter. It's truly one of my favorites that I have written. I know I have said that a lot throughout this past year but for this chapter, I truly mean it. **

**For the story, I wanted to give Oikawa a much more personal connection to Cody rather than just the fact he was his father's best friend. To quote Spaceballs, that means "absolutely nothing" in relation to Cody, which made it hard to believe he was a source of growth for Cody's character the way it could have been. Total reverse Sirius Black situation, I know XD**

**And another thing, I realized I had been saying Cody's grandfather's name wrong the whole time XD Why didn't you guys tell me? I went back and corrected all the instances I spelled out his name. **

**Be ready next time because we are two steps closer to finally finishing the story. The next chapter is the second-to-last chapter and it's going to get messy. So be sure to review and subscribe if you haven't yet because you do not want to miss this ending. I'm already burgeoning with excitement just thinking about it. **

**See you guys next time. **


	42. The Madness of Yukio Oikawa

**Reviews: **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Welcome back, Odd. Thank you so much. Not sure how far you have caught up to, but I think you'll be surprised what you read. Speaking of my version of tri., you'll just have to see what happens there ;-)**

**Music Chick: They are connected in a much deeper way than in the series. Glad to know you enjoyed it ;-)**

**Ackbarfan5556: Yes you did. Sorry I forgot to attribute you to those parts you wrote for me for the most part. **

**Luffy L Deathwalker: We got that cleared up during our PM conversation. Thank you for your review as always. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Could not have said it any better myself, Greymon. I always look forward to your reviews the most because you are usually dead on with your analysis. I'm not sure if you've heard of Sage's Rain on Youtube, but I read your review in his voice. Check him out. **

**Shoutout to DigiStart Fanfic Writer for the favorite and follow. Thank you.**

* * *

**Welcome back, everyone. Hope you are doing well. Well, we are almost there, guys. We are coming out of turn 4 and onto the front straightaway. This is the second-to-last chapter. It's been a long journey, but we are almost there. I can't believe I have been at this story for almost a year. It was a struggle at some points, but then it just got easier as I went along and now here we are. Okay, I'll stop patting myself on the back (sweat drop). Let's get right to it. **

**Just so you guys remember, there will be no MaloMyotismon. That is the one thing I am going to give you right now. It was a stupid copout that ended up rendering Oikawa's role in the story pretty pointless. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_Knock, knock. _

The door propped open.

"TK?"

Kari was surprised to see her best friend standing outside her front door. The team were to meet up soon to head to Hikarigaoka, but the last thing she expected was to see TK here without even calling. She smiled to hide her cautiousness. Despite seeing that TK had prove himself to the group again, there was still a small part between them that had grown apart – something she couldn't put her finger on, but if she were to be honest with herself, she missed him.

"Hey," he responded. He took off his hat and wringed it out while looking down at the floor. "I-I know I didn't call, but I figured since, you know, with how everything is happening…" The blonde Jedi of Hope placed his hat on his head and shoved his hands in his pocket with a shrug. "It's New Year's Eve. Can we walk there together?"

Yes, she missed him terribly.

Kari closed the door behind her and hugged TK. "Happy New Year's Eve, TK."

The blonde's face erupted with redness. Kari was hugging him! He didn't know what to do for a few seconds before deciding to go along with it. He hugged her back and squeezed her tight.

"Happy New Year's Eve, Kari," he returned, his stomach doing flips inside his body.

The two broke apart and left the apartment together. Neither said a word as they walked through the streets of Odaiba. It was a quiet, uncomfortable silence as neither one knew what to say to each other. They had not been alone together since that awkward encounter in the schoolyard back in May.

TK sucked in a breath and broke the awkward silence. "So, uh," he scratched the back of his head. "Are you doing anything tonight with anyone, Kari? It's New Year's Eve."

Kari shrugged. "No, not really. Tai and I will probably just have a quiet night. Why?"

An unintentional sigh of relief escaped TK's lips. So she hadn't said yes to Davis at Aqua City five days ago after all. He quickly regained his composure. The redness spread across his face even more until it covered almost every inch of him.

"No reason," he said. A mischievous smile emerged. "As your best friend, I'll take you out tonight for some karaoke."

"Okay, but you're paying," Kari cracked, which made both of them laugh.

"We're not dating or anything," TK said between gasps. "We can split the bill."

"Cheapskate."

The once-heavy atmosphere lightened a little after that. Even so, TK still felt a bit of hesitation in the way Kari smiled at him. It was the smile someone used when just trying to seem polite and conceal their true feelings.

She still did not trust him. He could not blame her in all honesty. TK had been a complete maniac the last few months and he knew how much it had hurt Kari during that time. He couldn't stand the thought of her not wanting to be around him. Without her, he was more alone than anything. Today would be the day he'd set things right with her.

"Hey, Kari," he began, his voice coming out scratchier than he wanted. "There's something I want to tell you."

"What?" Kari asked.

TK felt his nerves and anxiety overpower him. What if she rejected his apology? What would happen then? Would she never want to see him again? He brushed those feelings aside and worked up his courage. It was the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry I've been such a maniac since August. It's been a crazy time with Rumiko coming into Dad's life and them now being engaged. I was so focused on my own feelings that I didn't think about how it was affecting everyone else around me." TK looked down in shame. A lone tear fell down his cheek. "I've hurt a lot of the people around me, but it's you that I am most ashamed to have hurt. I was so selfish thinking just about myself. I'm sorry."

Kari stood in deep thought for a moment, contemplating whether or not she should forgive him. She was happy that TK was finally owning up to his actions after all he had done after Ken was defeated. It was going to be a long process before she could look at him the same way it used to be, but this was a good first step for him. She smiled and nodded.

"That's okay. I forgive you," she said. "I'm just happy to have my best friend back."

Kari hugged him again, but this time with an added twist. She gave him a light peck on the cheek. TK's heart stopped. His cheek burned as if it had been touched by fire instead of Kari's soft, wet lips.

"Come on. Everyone's waiting for us," said the Jedi of Light as she resumed walking.

TK watched her walk away, still awestruck by the kiss. What happened to Kari Kamiya? She was never this bold before. What changed? Memories of when Kari hugged Davis during the Odaiba Day celebration, as well as the time she flirted with him in the school hallway came to surface. Kari holding Davis' hand at Aqua City returned; the same memory that continued to haunt him and hit the nail on the coffin. She was always more friendly with Davis, but never him. It was at that moment he decided he didn't care why the change of personality. If she was going to be bold, then so should he.

The Jedi of Hope quickly caught up and wrapped his hand in hers. Kari jumped at the sudden warmth spreading through her hand, but lightly smiled at TK. A sincere smile.

And he smiled back.

* * *

"They're just standing there."

"What are they waiting for?"

"Shhh. I don't know."

The Destined Jedi crouched, huddled around each other behind a collection of bushes in Hikarigaoka. Their eyes were fixed firmly on the bridge up ahead of them. All eleven Dark Jedi, with the loss of Noriko the day before, stood at the guardrails that kept them from falling to the street below. The children stayed perfectly still like statues from a performing art exhibit. All day, the Destined Jedi had been tracking the Dark Jedi and followed them all the way out to the northwest suburbs. What they were all doing there was anyone's guess.

Davis closed the small parting in the bushes that he used to see and looked back to everyone else. Something about this location did not seem to make sense to him.

"Why are they all here?" he whispered. "What's so special about Hikarigaoka?"

"The eight of us older kids all lived here when we caught our first glance at a Digimon," Izzy explained.

"That's right. Oikawa also worked with my mom in investigating the incident," TK added. "He must have figured something out about this place that we never knew."

"What?" Davis asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe if we stay here and wait a little longer, Oikawa will appear and we can ask him ourselves," said Tai. "That snake is not going to get away with this."

Everyone nodded in agreement and resumed their watch over the children. It was New Years Eve, but instead of parties and ringing in the new year, it was business as usual for the Destined Jedi. They were so close to finally ending this war they had fought since April that they could all taste it.

The minutes ticked by, turning into a half-hour, and nothing happened. Oikawa was nowhere to be found. Cody watched with a sad look in his eyes as the last two days flashed before his eyes in a blurry array of images. He didn't want anyone to get hurt, but that may have to happen in order to end all of this. Even after he learned what Oikawa planned to do to his family, he still believed that there was a way the man could be brought back from the darkness.

Joe peeked out of the corner of his eyes at his young friend and kneeled beside him.

"What's wrong, Cody?" he asked.

"Joe," Cody replied, glancing downward at his shoes. "I'm worried. What if we can't stop Oikawa and free those children from his control? What will he do next? I'm worried that he will follow through on his plan to kill my mother and grandfather to get to me."

The Jedi of Reliability smiled warmly and patted the boy on the shoulder. Throughout their time together, he had come to see Cody as his own little brother. Someone to protect and guide through life.

"You don't have to worry about that," he said. "I won't let it happen. We're going to stop him. I promise. I swore when I took you as my apprentice that I would protect you to the best of my ability, and that promise has not been forgotten."

Joe squeezed Cody's shoulder a little harder and patted it. The boy smiled.

"Thanks, Joe."

"Of course. That's why I'm here."

Out on the bridge, the Dark Jedi continued to stand in their trance and gaze down the street.

The wind blew gently across the trees above the Destined Jedi, almost sensing the impending confrontation. This was their last chance to stop Oikawa for good and end this war they had been fighting these many months. If they failed, who knew what would happen next.

Then Ken felt it. That familiar dark presence that sent chills shooting down his spine and throughout his body. Oikawa was close by. He peeked over the top of the bushes and saw the dark man surrounded by his minions. Arukenimon and Mummymon were there too. The female Digimon was still in her human form while her counterpart had morphed into his true form.

"There he is," he said hoarsely, plucking his saber off the hook on his waist.

Tai's eyes narrowed in deep concentration. "Game time. This is where it all ends, guys."

The Jedi emerged out of the bushes and ran out onto the bridge. One by one, their sabers emerged. Blue, green, purple all came together to create an array of deadly color.

"Well, well. Our honored guests. Come to see the show?" Mummymon snickered. He pointed his blaster at the new arrivals while Arukenimon drew her saber.

"Let those children go, Oikawa!" Ken roared.

The man cackled. "Why should I? I didn't force them to come with me. They joined me of their own free will. They can leave me at any time." He looked back at the group of children. "Does anyone want to leave and go home?"

The children shook their heads.

"See? No one is being controlled."

"They didn't have a choice! You manipulated them!" Cody shot. His anger burned almost out of control. "After Noriko was of no use to you, you took her powers away and abandoned her. You're nothing but a manipulating, conniving monster!"

A wicked sneer stretched up Oikawa's face as he eyed his godson. The boy was so much like Hiroki, but that didn't matter to him anymore. His destiny awaited him.

"Am I?" he said darkly. "Well, Iori, you're nothing but a foolish little boy still clinging to the memory of a father that you barely knew. I only wanted to help you, but rather than let me, you turned me away just like your grandfather did. But now that I have what I want, I don't need you anymore. My destiny awaits me."

"And what is it that you plan to do?" Ken hissed through gritted teeth.

"Simple. Ever since Hiroki and I were young and learned about the Digital World through a game we used to play, I have always wanted to go. But I was not chosen to be a Destined Jedi, so that was never possible.

"A few years ago, I met someone while on my travels and they taught me everything about the Force. Even the nature of the dark side. After Hiroki's father turned me away and promised to harm me if I ever came back, my desire to go to the Digital World grew even stronger. I even created Arukenimon and Mummymon to help me in my quest."

"Huh?" The Destined Jedi collectively cried. All this time, the two Digimon were just mere creations of Oikawa? It now made sense as to why they so willingly followed orders without question and were always around. He was like a father to them in some ways.

"Surprised?" Arukenimon snickered.

"How is that possible?" Izzy gasped, trying to wrap his head around what he just heard. He had never heard of Digimon that had been created by humans before.

Oikawa snickered. "It helps to have powerful friends."

"Then what did you need me for?" Ken shot.

"I needed you to help clear the way for my arrival, Ken. The Digital World was in complete chaos after your friends defeated the Dark Masters and left a power vacuum in their wake. I always knew that you were the Chosen One ordained by the legendary prophecy because of how powerful your aura was, even at that young of an age.

"The death of your brother, and the overwhelming guilt you felt as a result, was just the tip of the iceberg to set my plan into action. I let you take all the credit for your success, and let you think the whole thing was your idea. Everything was going according to plan, but I always knew that your arrogance and pride would lead to your downfall."

Oikawa pointed to the scar on Ken's face.

"And I was right. You turned away from me just like I knew you would. But I could not just abandon my plan. I needed someone else who was susceptible to darkness to serve as my vessel to the Digital World."

His eyes turned to TK. Matt grabbed his brother's arm protectively.

"I thought you would have been the perfect vessel, Takeru Takaishi, because of all the pain and anguish you were experiencing at the time. With your level of power, you would have been a wonderful asset to me. But you somehow mustered the willpower to reject my offer."

"Because you made me nothing but empty promises," TK growled. He raised his lightsaber to point it at the man. "You tried to turn me against my friends and my family. I will never forgive that."

That declaration did not faze Oikawa as he rested his eyes on Cody one last time.

"Iori. Sweet, wonderful Iori," he said in a kind, warm voice. "Since your father was my closest and only friend, and you are my godson, it was destiny that you were meant to take your father's place so we could rule the Digital World together." He then frowned. "But it seemed you had forgotten all about me thanks to your good-for-nothing grandfather."

"Don't you _dare _insult my grandfather!" Cody roared. "He's more of a man than you could ever hope to be."

"That's your opinion, but it is of no concern to me. I am finally going to fulfill a dream that was taken from me." Oikawa looked back to his young charges. "And now, children, give me your strength to help open a gate to the Digital World."

Streams of blue energy shot out from the Dark Jedi and into Oikawa as he concentrated his power inside of him. A dark aura covered him and built up until it finally shot out of his hands. The Destined Jedi gasped in horror. A portal to the Digital World had been opened. Oikawa stared at the jagged cut in space like he was staring at a god.

"At last," he said in awe. His dream was finally coming true. The Digital World was his for the taking. He threw out his arms theatrically. "Are you ready?"

"Are you ready?" the Dark Jedi mimicked.

"Are you ready?" Oikawa turned back to the Destined Jedi once more and sneered at them. "It's over, Destined Jedi. There is nothing you can do to stop me any longer. Soon, the entire Digital World will be mine. Auf Wiedersehen."

Without another word, he and the Dark Jedi, along with Arukenimon and Mummymon took off towards the portal and entered it. The Destined Jedi quickly jumped into action and followed before the gate closed behind them.

* * *

Oikawa's eyes bulged to the size of softballs as he looked around in wonder at what he saw before him. A wide smile shot up his face. He had finally done it. After so long, and countless heartbreaks, he had finally arrived in the Digital World. It was just as wonderful and beautiful as he could have ever imagined it to be.

He and his entourage had arrived in a valley surrounded by tall cliffs and jagged rocks. It wasn't much to look at right away, but he could not wait to see it all. If only Hiroki was here with him. That was the only thing that would have made it even more perfect.

"Oikawa!"

The man growled and turned to see the Destined Jedi standing in a straight line across right where the gate had closed. The sound of their lightsabers humming filled the canyon.

"It's too late, you fools," he snarled. "Now that I have entered the Digital World at long last, I will take over and rule as its supreme ruler. None of you can stop me now!"

Oikawa's lightsaber dropped into his hand from its hiding place under his coat sleeve and he quickly ignited the blood red blade. The Dark Jedi copied their master's motion as eleven red lightsabers joined his. Arukenimon kept hers pointed forward and Mummymon had his blaster ready to fire when told to.

The Destined Jedi didn't say a word as they eyed their adversaries across the way. This was where it all would end; they instinctively knew that. Whatever happened after was up to fate. If this was the day that Fate had designated as their death day, then they were going to do everything they could to stop Oikawa from taking over the Digital World before they died. They all took one last look at each other and nodded, ready for the looming fight ahead.

Oikawa gave them one last dark look and then shouted the command that would ignite the fuse on this powder keg.

"FINISH THEM!"

The charge came as swift as lightning. One blink of the eye, and instantly the hoards were upon the Destined Jedi. This wasn't an army of evil Digimon they were fighting. These were just children. Children like them. Children whose eyes were filled with mindless, reckless hate as they charged. The two sides finally clashed together, lightsabers slamming against each other in a brilliant show of sparks and color.

Arukenimon and Mummymon took two steps towards the battle to join in, but Oikawa raised his arms to stop them.

"Not yet," he said.

His two minions glared at him in disappointment.

"Why, Master?" Mummymon whined. "How come they get to fight first and we don't?"

Oikawa smirked. "In chess, the pawns go first. Then the bigger pieces move in to finish the job."

Reluctantly, the two Digimon stepped back to their master's side and stayed put. The longer they watched, the more anxious they became. The two armies were fairly even with no one side gaining an advantage over the other. Lightsabers became blurs as they spun and streaked through the air.

Ken dodged a saber strike aimed for his head then kicked the Dark Jedi across from him down to the ground. Without stopping to admire his work, his purple lightsaber sliced through the metal hilt of the opposing weapon. The red blade disappeared as the top half fell to the ground next to the Dark Jedi. The boy jumped up to attack with his fists, but Ken grabbed him by the shoulder and injected Force energy into it. The Dark Jedi slumped over and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Guys! Aim for the sabers!" Ken cried. "Slice through their lightsabers then use the Force to put them to sleep. That'll stop them."

Oikawa gritted his teeth. A low, frustrated growl escaped his throat. The plan went out the window. He could not stand around and wait any longer.

"Shall we destroy him now, Master?" Arukenimon asked, hoping he would say yes.

"No," the man replied, keeping his eyes focused firmly on Ken. "He's mine."

Without another word, he used the Force to propel him towards Ken. The two Digimon took this as permission to attack, so they did not waste a moment jumping into the fight. If Oikawa was going to abandon the plan and attack ahead of schedule, why shouldn't they? Arukenimon and Mummymon felt the leash around their collective necks finally be taken off. They had been constrained to whatever Oikawa told them to do ever since he created them. They were his mindless minions. Now, they had been given free reign to destroy the Destined Jedi as they saw fit. It was thrilling.

Arukenimon saw Joe slice through a Dark Jedi's lightsaber up ahead and knock them out with a nerve attack. She went right for him as her red lightsaber burst to life, ready to slice through the Jedi of Reliability and spill his blood all over the ground. Their sabers clashed in a barrage of sparks.

Ken sensed someone coming near him and quickly turned to smash his saber against Oikawa's. The man unleashed a furious barrage of strikes but Ken met the challenge head on. Every angle the red blade went, Ken's purple lightsaber was there to stop it. It was strength against strength; two duelists who knew each other inside and out from months of working together. The master and the former apprentice who had become a master of his own destiny. Engaged in a fight to the death.

Mummymon spotted Sora, Yolei, and Mimi huddled close together. He cocked his blaster and leapt through the air towards them. Blue blaster bolts shot out of his weapon in a hailstorm of fire to overwhelm them. The three female Jedi deflected each bolt that came their way, but it was a struggle having to block against multiple ones. For Mimi and Sora, there was an added struggle of not being able to use their enhanced reflexes to help them.

The blaster fire stopped for a brief moment. Yolei took advantage and rushed forward to deliver a powerful attack from her right side. Mummymon activated his lightsaber in his other hand and elbowed her in the jaw, negating her momentum as she fell to the ground. He stepped on her back, pointing his blaster right at her to deliver the final burst of fire. A blue lightsaber sliced through the barrel, disintegrating the blaster into a burst of data.

Mummymon looked down at his hand in shock. Sora pointed the tip of her lightsaber at him, daring him silently to go through with killing Yolei. Before he could do anything, another surprise greeted the mummy. Mimi high-kicked him in the jaw, forcing Mummymon to step off of Yolei as he stumbled away. Mummymon quickly recovered and eyed the two female Jedi with ravenous anger. He raised his lightsaber and struck against the blue and purple lightsabers.

* * *

Somewhere else in the canyon, Davis reeled back from a kick in the jaw. He raised his saber to stop the streaking red lightsaber blade from slicing through his neck. The young Destined Jedi stared at the boy across from him. The Dark Jedi was no older than him, but the darkness engulfing his mind aged him considerably. Was this what darkness did to someone? Davis did not want to find out.

Thinking quickly, Davis released his right hand from the metal hilt of his lightsaber, ready to use the Force to bide time – That is, until he was given another punch to the face. The Destined Jedi stumbled a few steps away before his back landed against something solid. Davis realized it wasn't rock. It was the soft cotton material of someone's yukata, along with solid back muscles and spine.

"Oh, hey, Davis." It was TK. The blonde Destined Jedi was occupied with another Dark Jedi. This one was a girl with a wild look in her eyes as she threw every attack she could to knock him off balance. TK defended each attack with ease.

"What's up?" Davis joked as he unleashed a counterstrike. "How are the kids?"

"Would be better if they weren't trying to kill me."

The two Jedi ducked under attacks aimed for their heads then swiftly punched their adversaries in the abdomen. The two Dark Jedi stumbled back in pain, giving TK and Davis valuable time to come up with a plan.

"Got anything, Davis?" TK asked.

As a matter of fact, he did.

"I think so," Davis replied, "but I need you to trust me on this. When I say now, slow down time. Then, we'll lock our arms together and switch places. Sound good?"

"Whatever you say."

The two Dark Jedi recovered from the searing pain in their guts and returned to fight. Their red sabers struck against the two blue sabers. TK and Davis kept them locked in a struggle for superiority to save time.

"Now?" TK asked, pushing hard against the girl's lightsaber. She was starting to overtake him due to the anger that flowed through her body. It made her that much more powerful than an experienced Force user and lightsaber duelist like TK.

Davis gritted his teeth as his opponent's lightsaber got dangerously close to him. He felt the searing heat baking his cheek. He couldn't wait any longer.

"Now!"

TK's tattoo glowed its bright yellow light. Everything started to slow down around the two Jedi. Davis then used his boosted Force speed to wrap his arms around TK's in a split second. The blonde then allowed time to resume normally.

The two Jedi switched positions and sliced through their opponent's lightsabers. Force waves shot out of Davis and TK's hands to knock the Dark Jedi to the ground. Before they could get up, the two Destined Jedi appeared instantly in front of them and knocked them out with Force energy.

Davis cautiously offered a hand for a high-five, not sure whether TK had fully accepted him as the leader yet. Everything stood still for almost five seconds before a wide smile shot up the blonde's face as he slapped his hand against Davis'.

"Nice job, Davis," TK praised.

A warm feeling flooded through the burgundy-haired leader's body. He allowed himself to smile. Things were gonna be okay from now on.

"Thanks. Let's go help out where we can."

"Right!"

The two Jedi ran back to where the brunt of the fighting was concentrated.

* * *

**As things get underway, how will the final battle end? Find out next time on Attack of the Emperor. **

**That was just a taste of things to come, guys. Hope you enjoyed it and are excited for what happens next. I have already finished the last chapter and an epilogue that will come along with it next week. That's right. Two chapters at once. All I will say that it is an explosive conclusion. I told you guys a few weeks ago that June 13 was when the story was ending, and indeed it is.**

**The part where Oikawa does the "Are you ready" was of course made famous by Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog. I figured with the gate opening, Oikawa would change his demeanor and he'd become a little more theatrical. **

**As always, leave a review and subscribe for the last time if you have not. This is your last chance while supplies last. **

**See you all next week for the epic conclusion to Attack of the Emperor. **


	43. For All Worlds

**Reviews: **

**Music Chick: Hearing that makes me super happy. Thank you for being such an awesome reader and beta reader for me. **

**Ackbarfan5556: Yup ;-) No spoiling. Thanks for being such a good friend and an awesome reader. **

**GuardianAngel1234567: Patience, my friend. Patience. Number two: That won't happen here. You'll see. Thank you for being a great reviewer this whole story. **

**Luffy L Deathwalker: We'll have to see. Like I told GuardianAngel above, be patient. Maybe in the next story ;-) **

**Super Saiyan 3 Odd: Kari hasn't happened yet at the chapter you are in. Glad to know you liked it. I'm sure you'll be quite surprised by what he ends up facing. **

**Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint: Thanks. In a way, TK is kind of a representation of me and my feelings over my parents' divorce and the dark place I was in mentally during that time. For the master question, you'll get a taste here but the reveal will not happen for quite some time within the story. Thank you for always being such an awesome reviewer with your insights and conclusions. I looked forward to them every time.**

* * *

**WE ARE HERE! After eleven months, we are finally here, guys! The ending! We are almost crossing the finish line to take the checkered flag. Here, we have the epic conclusion to Ken and Oikawa's saga and question that will be answered at a later time. Thank you all for being such awesome readers and reviewers this past year. I love each and every one of you. I am nothing without you. This is why I work so hard at creating quality content for you guys. **

**That was my sappy sentimental speech. Let's end this puppy! Enjoy!**

* * *

Sparks flew in continuous streams as red met purple, stuck in a saber lock. The two combatants gave everything they had to push the other to their brink. They now stood near the edge of a cliff high above the fighting, separating themselves from any help down below.

"Come out!" Oikawa yelled at the Digimon Emperor that remained in hibernation deep within Ken. "Coward! You're weak!"

Ken gritted his teeth and broke the standoff. The Emperor was stirring, but this time he felt more in control as he silently traded blows in a quick, controlled manner. He was tired and sweating buckets from the fight, but never had he felt so energized before. He was so close to finally ending his nightmares.

"Hiding your true nature when we can rule together. An insignificant maggot!" Oikawa roared.

Ken's top teeth dug into his bottom lip, not wanting to dignify the fiend with a response. He slammed his saber against Oikawa's in a calculated attack that kept the battle at a standstill. They were both capable duelists – which was not surprising because Oikawa was the one who trained Ken – and their skillsets were fairly even. Neither one could make significant progress against the other.

Down below in the valley, Tai and Matt struggled against their two opponents. Without the Force as a means of backup, the two Destined Jedi relied on their saber skills and quick wits to stay in the fight.

"Just like old times, huh?" Tai joked as he stepped to the side to dodge an attack.

"Certainly looks like it," Matt agreed, grinning slightly while locking his and his opponent's lightsabers together. He was then backhanded across the face, sending him reeling back.

"Matt!" Tai cried, briefly distracted by his friend's distress. Unfortunately, that gave the Dark Jedi across from him an opening to exploit.

The boy struck fast and hard, forcing Tai back on his heels. Their sabers locked briefly together, but the Dark Jedi spun them around so that Tai lost control of his. A Force wave sent the Jedi of Courage flying. His back and head hit the ground hard, leaving him dazed. Tai instinctively reached out his hand to call his saber, but the blade did not respond. Just as the Dark Jedi leapt forward to run his saber through Tai, a blue lightsaber stopped it.

Kari gritted her teeth and used all her strength to keep the boy at bay. Their standstill then broke off and they traded blows. Tai got up and ran to collect his lightsaber before coming back to help Kari.

The two of them together were a formidable force for the lone Dark Jedi. Suddenly, the other member of his team that was taking care of Matt before jumped in to help. With two on either side, it was a much more even fight.

Davis, Yolei, and Cody stood together, watching as their fellow Destined Jedi fought their separate battles. Joe was on his heels as he defended against all of Arukenimon's attacks. The spider woman was very much in control of their duel, and she knew it. Mummymon threw Mimi off just in time to block Sora's attack, symbolically showing the stalemate they were in. Izzy dodged and weaved his lightsaber around defending against his opponent's attacks.

What could they all do? There were still four Dark Jedi that had lightsabers. Everyone else was locked up in their own individual battles.

"Hey, you guys remember what Gennai said?" Davis said. "About how our power put together was just as powerful as Ken's? Let's use it to take out the rest of the Dark Jedi."

Yolei smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"I'm with you guys," Cody agreed.

The three Jedi took a second to synchronize their power together so that when they attacked, they would be at the same level. The Force brimmed with energy, threatening to explode through their bodies in an awesome display of power. Without another second to waste, they charged as one.

Davis swept across the valley with his enhanced speed to slice through two red lightsabers and knock the Dark Jedi out with a single touch. His blurred burgundy hair and blue lightsaber made him look like Flash in the heat of battle.

Yolei dodged a sweeping attack by jumping over the assailant. With a tuck and roll in mid-air, she landed softly on her feet and without looking, swept her green lightsaber through the metal hilt. Before the Dark Jedi could do anything to counter, Yolei touched the girl's shoulder and knocked her right out.

Cody overpowered his opponent with his superior saber skill from all his kendo lessons. The disparity in form and power was almost unfair. On one side, there was raw power that had not been channeled properly while for Cody, he had spent a lifetime learning the proper way to fight with a weapon. It was over just as soon as it began; another red lightsaber in pieces and another Dark Jedi on the ground unconscious.

The Jedi of Courage and Friendship streaked across the valley to finish off the two Dark Jedi that Kari and Tai were fighting. Just like the rest of their comrades, they dropped to the ground with their sabers destroyed.

Smiles spread across the three Jedi's faces. The Dark Jedi had finally been defeated.

* * *

Joe stumbled back from a fist slamming into his face. Blood dripped out of his nostrils as he tried to gather his bearings. Arukenimon was the toughest opponent he had faced by himself. She was cunning and swift in her attacks. Whenever he would finally get a lock on her to launch an attack, Arukenimon would avoid it and deliver a swift kick to his leg. His right leg trembled, ready to give way at any second. It would not last another attack.

Joe raised his blue lightsaber in time to stop Arukenimon's red saber, but the spider woman did not allow him to catch his breath. She struck with the speed and power of a shark swimming towards its prey to take a bite. Her growls echoed throughout the valley as her ferocity rose with each attack. The Jedi of Reliability stayed quick with his defenses, but failed to be aware of his surroundings. He was being pushed back into the side of a cliff.

Dust and rock spilled out from the cliff face as Joe ducked under an attack. He lashed out with his saber to try and get out of his situation, but it proved in vain as Arukenimon twisted their sabers together. Her strength overpowered Joe's as she swept his lightsaber out of his hand and elbowed him in the gut. Joe grunted and clutched his stomach.

Rather than end the Jedi's life right there, Arukenimon snickered. She wanted to end things the right way: Feeling his blood coat her claws as they pierced his guts and see the light leave his eyes.

"Time's up, Jedi," she snickered before changing into her grotesque, true form. Joe's eyes widened in fear, having never seen her in this form before. Her knife-like claws glinted in whatever light there was, ready to plunge into Joe's body and end his life.

Arukenimon let out a strangled, victorious cry as she went in for the kill. "DIE!" she roared.

Everything seemed to pass in slow motion as the Digimon stuck her claws out in front of her to commit the final act. For a second, Joe saw his life passing before his eyes. This wasn't how it was going to end, was it? His lightsaber was only inches from his fingers. He had to act fast or it would all end right there.

Without a second to waste, Joe reached for his lightsaber just as Arukenimon was inches away from him. His fingers wrapped around the metal hilt and pointed it towards the spider woman. She thrust her claws forward.

_PSHEW! _

Arukenimon gasped. She could not hear a thing. It was like the world had gone silent around her. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as she looked down at her stomach…where Joe's lightsaber had entered. The blue blade poked out of her back.

A smirk rose up Joe's face as his chest heaved to get oxygen into his lungs. Her claws rested centimeters away from his chest so he had to constrict it to avoid touching them.

Nothing happened for a few heartbeats as the two looked each other in the eyes. Finally, with one last choked gasp, Arukenimon's eyes rolled back in her head and her body exploded into a million bits of data.

Joe slid against the rocky façade of the cliff to a sitting position while catching his breath. He wiped sweat off his brow.

Arukenimon was no more.

* * *

Mummymon ducked under Sora's arms and picked her up in a fireman's carry before slamming her to the ground. The Jedi of Love grunted in pain as her head bounced off the rocky ground. Blood dripped out of a wound on the back of her head unseen by the naked eye, and masked by her auburn hair. Her eyes started seeing double for a moment before clearing up. Sora saw Mummymon's lightsaber cross into her vision and she raised her saber to stop it from delivering the killing blow.

Sensing her friend was in trouble, Mimi thrust her foot into Mummymon's jaw to knock him away from Sora. The Jedi of Sincerity helped Sora to her feet and the two pointed their lightsabers at their opponent. Despite the numbers being against him, Mummymon did not panic. He was very agile and quick with his attacks that he was able to stop the two female Jedi from setting up attacks. Then the two realized: He was toying with them.

Before Sora and Mimi could counterattack, Mummymon jumped two feet in the air and slammed his left shin into Sora's jaw, knocking her to the ground with a cry of pain. Then he deflected two strikes aimed for him and did the same to Mimi. He smirked. This was all too easy.

Mummymon had his saber primed and ready to attack as Sora slowly rose to her feet with her back to him. His left foot bounced impatiently, waiting for her to turn around so he could deliver the final blow. Where Arukenimon and the others had failed, he would not. Sora finally turned to face him, still grasping her jaw.

With a loud cry of determination, the mummy Digimon launched himself at her like a speeding bullet. His red lightsaber swung forward to slice through her, but Sora ducked under the attack and cut her saber through his bandaged right arm at the elbow. The appendage disappeared into a burst of data, along with his lightsaber.

Mummymon roared out in pain, nursing the stump at where his forearm used to be.

"Mimi, now!" Sora cried.

Mimi nodded and sprung into action. Her purple lightsaber twirled above her head as she tucked it down and plunged the blade into Mummymon's chest with as much power she could muster. The Digimon gasped one last breath before breaking apart into data as he fell to the ground.

"Girl power!" Mimi exclaimed as she and Sora slapped each other five.

Their celebration was cut short when they heard the sound of lightsabers clashing above them. The two female Jedi looked up and saw Ken and Oikawa locked in a fierce struggle. The dark-haired man suddenly pushed their sabers up and knocked Ken to the ground.

"We're still not done yet, Mimi," said Sora. "There's still one more left to go."

Mimi nodded. "Right." Then she yelled, "You can do it, Ken!"

* * *

Ken bounced off the side of the hill and landed in a heap on the ground. Everything hurt from his head down to his toes. His raven hair fell over his face like a dark veil, covering the bruises and scratches that marked it. The ground shook lightly as he heard his opponent land beside him.

Oikawa used his foot to turn Ken over and pointed his lightsaber at the unscarred side of the boy's face. The Jedi of Kindness took gulping deep breaths to catch his breath. The bright red mass of laser could kill him with one slice through the skin on his face, but Ken was not afraid. He refused to show fear in the face of his adversary.

"How disappointing," Oikawa said with a dark chuckle. "This is the Chosen One? I expected better from you, Ken. Your hate makes you powerful. I've seen it with my own two eyes." He scoffed. "But all I see now is a worthless little squirt who will never know true friendship or love. He naïvely believes that he has found it, but just you wait. They will abandon you when you are no longer useful to them, Ken."

"You're wrong!" Ken shot back, refusing to believe the man's words. "They do care about me. You'll never know what that feeling is like. And I feel sorry for you. You lost the only friend who accepted you for who you were and you cannot let it go."

A chill ran down Ken's back as Oikawa's eyes flashed yellow for a brief second, pointing his red lightsaber between the Jedi's eyes. How ironic that he was in Oikawa's position the day before and Noriko was in his. Today, the roles were reversed.

"I ought to kill you right now, Ken Ichijouji. I ought to destroy you. When they speak of you, they will say only how the great Ken Ichijouji died friendless and alone: A sad waste of potential. You were never worthy of having friends."

Ken's newfound confidence to speak vanished. Whatever retort he thought of died in his throat. As he stared down the death scythe that hummed menacingly just inches from his eyes, Ken never felt so alone. Here he was facing his impending death, and no one was around to help him. He gulped.

"He's wrong, Ken! You're not alone!"

Davis' voice managed to break through the fog that clouded Ken's mind. The Jedi of Kindness turned his head to the left and saw the other Jedi standing a few feet away. They all smiled with encouragement as they stayed back, understanding that this was a battle Ken needed to finish by himself.

"You never were alone. You were loved all along," Davis continued. "Don't listen to this guy. You're not worthless. He doesn't know what's inside your heart. I know what's there; we all know what's there. Now show him what he never saw."

Another warm voice spoke, this time in Ken's mind.

"_As long as I am with you, Ken, you are never alone. I have waited so long to meet you that I never want to go back to when I didn't know you." _

Ken's eyes widened. That was Wormmon. Suddenly he realized that both of them had been right. All the love he thought he never had was always there. It took someone saying that they loved him to help him be on the road to recovery. The kindness Tai showed him by giving him a chance when no one else would; the friendship and forgiveness that Matt and Davis gave him, even though the blonde was willing to kill him at his most vulnerable; his family finally telling him that they loved him after believing for so long that they never did.

Something inside of him burst like a pent-up reservoir of water breaking through the solid concrete walls of a dam that held it back. It flooded through his veins and energized him like never before.

The magenta light of Ken's tattoo exploded out of his wrist. Davis and TK looked down and saw that theirs were reacting along with Ken's. They felt slightly tired and weak. Some of their energy was being drained out of them. Conversely, Ken felt himself grow stronger.

"What's happening?" he gasped. "Why do I feel so much power?"

TK and Davis were at a loss for words. How could that be?

Oikawa raised his saber, anxious to get things over with. Whatever this new phenomenon was, he would put a stop to it before Ken could use it. Without another word, he slammed the red laser sword down towards Ken. The Jedi rolled away with an unnatural burst of speed, surprising both himself and Oikawa.

Ken called his lightsaber back to his hand, igniting the purple blade with renewed purpose. He and Oikawa stared at each other for a heartbeat before the man rushed forward to end the fight. Ken asked the Force to give him that odd burst of speed once again, and it answered his call. His lightsaber moved in a kaleidoscopic display of purple light as he parried his opponent's attacks. Oikawa was overwhelmed; his strikes were not as powerful as they were before. He was just slashing at Ken's saber in a desperate attempt to regain control that he had completely lost.

The Force calmed Ken's mind as he parried another attack from Oikawa. He asked for more power. Oikawa moved forward again, this time looking as if someone hit the fast forward button on the remote control set to a snail crawl. Ken dodged the attack aimed for his head. He was still at normal speed. Was he able to manipulate time too? That was supposed to be TK's power. And the Flash-like speed was Davis'.

Then it hit him. He had absorbed both of their powers to help him in his battle.

A grin shot up his face as he allowed time to resume normally. He punched Oikawa in the face, staggering the man back. Power surged through Ken once more as he charged forward, intent on ending this duel once and for all. The man raised his saber in vain to stop the attacks, but Ken overpowered his defenses.

He circle-parried one last time, the power behind it exposing Oikawa's wrist to him. Ken seized his chance. He cut right through the wrist like a hot knife through butter. Oikawa screamed in pain and agony as unspeakable pain shot through him. The severed hand let go of the lightsaber once it flew three feet away from Oikawa, landing on the ground. He cradled the sleeve that didn't end in a hand against his chest, backing up as his eyes stayed glued to where there used to be a hand. Finally, he tripped over his feet and fell to the ground. Ken breathed heavily as he pointed his lightsaber at the man's throat.

It was all over.

Oikawa was almost out of options now. His hand was severed from his body, and now he was at the mercy of a boy that he had trained to become the ultimate weapon. There was only one thing left to do.

He glanced up at Ken with sad eyes.

"Why are you doing this, Ken?" he whimpered. Then his voice became angry. "Do you forget who was there for you when no one else was? I was the father you desperately wanted. I was there for you when your parents treated you like you were dead. I gave you love, attention, and I molded you into who you are today. You'd be nothing without me! Just a lost little boy who was never wanted or loved by anyone."

His words had no effect on Ken as the boy stayed silent. His face remained unchanged, fixed in a neutral stone expression. The lightsaber stayed inches from Oikawa's throat.

Finally, Ken spoke in a low voice. "I don't need you anymore, Oikawa. You used me for your own purposes. I was only useful to you until I was no longer needed." He looked back at the other Jedi and smiled. "There are people that do genuinely love me, and have all along. The Digimon Emperor will always be inside of me, but he will never return so long as I don't give in to my darkness."

Oikawa's eyes glinted mischievously. This was the moment he had been waiting for this whole time. With his death, Ken would fulfill his destiny and become the Digimon Emperor once again. He would take his place as ruler.

"Go ahead. Kill me. Be a man, Ken," he taunted with a deranged laugh.

Ken raised his saber slightly, almost touching Oikawa's chin. For a second, he actually thought about doing it. It was so tempting. This man had twisted and manipulated him since he was nine years old, preying on his own grief and vulnerability. With Oikawa's death, Ken would finally be free of anything that resembled his previous life.

Then his conscience kicked in. Judging from the look on the man's face, he wanted this to happen. He wanted to die so that Ken would become what he feared the most. If he went through with this, Ken would be going back down the path that there was no turning back from. Just like Gennai had told him.

"_Once you set down that path, there is no coming back from the consequences._"

"No," Ken said, shutting off his lightsaber to the surprise of everyone. "I'm not a man like you. I should not be the one to kill you."

"Ken, what are you doing?!" Yolei exclaimed.

But Ken did not answer. He looked back at Cody, motioning him to come forward. The other boy nodded and walked to Ken's side. The raven-haired Jedi put his hands on Cody's shoulders.

"He should be the one to exact justice on you."

Oikawa was briefly surprised. This was not part of the plan. He tried to think of something else as Cody unleashed his green lightsaber and pointed it inches from the man.

"My dear Iori. You wouldn't want to kill your godfather, now would you? That makes me family." Oikawa said, giving Cody that deceptively warm, inviting smile. Even so, the boy could sense a sneer hiding behind it. "Didn't your grandfather teach you that nothing is more important than family?"

"He did," Cody replied in a slow, even tone. "But after what you've done, and what you planned to do, I don't see how I could ever accept you. You don't deserve it!"

Tears fell from Oikawa's eyes. "I only did it because I love you," he mumbled. Sniffles overtook him. "Your father told me to take care of you if something happened to him, and that chance was taken away from me." The man opened his arms for a hug, begging Cody to come close. "I want to be the father you deserve, Iori. Be a son to me now."

Cody looked behind him to Joe. The Jedi of Reliability smiled, not caring about the blood still dripping out his nose. He smiled back and turned back around to face Oikawa.

"I had a father," he said proudly. "His name was Hiroki Hida. He was the greatest man I ever knew. Even if I didn't get to spend much time with him, I'm happy that I at least got to have him in my life. He'll always be part of me."

Oikawa's face dropped. The deranged red irises and yellow pupils appeared in his eyes again. Whatever chance there was to turn him back to the light had passed. He was going to end this once and for all. He waved his remaining hand to activate the saber.

"Then _**JOIN HIM**__!" _

Before anyone could do anything, the red lightsaber shot right towards Cody's back like a dart. Everything passed in slow motion as it homed in on its target.

"CODY!" The Jedi screamed, unable to stop the lightsaber.

Luckily, Cody sensed it coming before it could sink into his back. When the red blade was mere inches from him, he jumped and did a backflip. The lightsaber was no longer going to him, but to Oikawa instead. The man was so stunned by what Cody had done that he couldn't get out of the way in time.

The lightsaber pierced his sternum and skewered his heart. The force of the blow was so strong that it sent Oikawa to the ground. His life slowly drained out of him. Before he drew his final breath, he looked at Cody with a sad look and said:

"Hiroki…I'm sorry."

Then he died.

* * *

What should have been a moment of celebration – the Jedi had finally ended the war they had been fighting since April – was instead a somber moment. Cody looked down at the body of the man who had once been his godfather and could not help but shed some tears. His last words echoed in his ears as he bent down beside Oikawa. The others stayed back to give him the space he needed.

"May you find the peace in death that you could never have in life," Cody whispered, closing the man's eyes for the last time. He folded his hands and prayed before standing up and looking back at his comrades. "Who will help me bury him?"

"Cody, what –" Yolei started to say, but she was interrupted.

"It's the right thing to do. I don't care what he's done; he deserves a proper burial like everyone else. Now who will help me?"

No one moved or said anything. A few seconds later, Joe stepped forward. Ken too. Cody smiled at them appreciatively. Cody and Ken used the Force to move the earth so they could save time and make the hole deep enough for Oikawa's body to be put to rest. Once the hole had been dug, Joe lifted Oikawa's body and laid it in. Cody and Ken then covered the burial site with the dug-up dirt. The Jedi of Knowledge and Reliability then placed Oikawa's lightsaber at the head of the mound of dirt.

Joe patted Cody's shoulder proudly. "I'm proud of you, Cody. You did the right thing."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Good work."

Cody smiled and nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. "Thanks, Joe."

The Dark Jedi started to wake up from their Force-induced state of unconsciousness. They looked around blankly, wondering why they had fallen asleep and how long they were out. The Destined Jedi were confused on what to do with them next.

Then a familiar face showed up.

"Good work, Destined Jedi. You have saved us all once again," Young Gennai smiled and bowed to them. The Jedi copied the gesture. "Is everyone okay?"

All of the Jedi nodded.

"Good." The young sage looked back and eyed the Dark Jedi curiously. "Before I go on, I'll take care of these children."

"What are you going to do?" Kari asked.

"I'm going to erase their memories of ever becoming Dark Jedi and take their connection to the Force. Then I'll send them home."

Cody and Yolei were quick to protest the decision.

"Wait!" they both cried.

"Maybe we could reprogram them and have them fight with us," Yolei reasoned. "The more Destined Jedi, the better for the Digital World. Right?"

"She's right. There has to be another way," Cody added.

But Young Gennai stayed firm in his decision. "After the other two teams' failures, Homeostasis would not want to risk having another failure. You twelve are the best we have, and we are happy with just having you."

"But –"

Sora and Joe silenced their two apprentices by resting their hands on their shoulders. The two Jedi shook their heads, telling them that it was better this way. Despite their hope, Cody and Yolei bowed their heads and relented.

A solid, blue wall of Force energy surrounded the Dark Jedi to trap them so they could not attack. The children whipped their heads around, confused to what was happening. A few slammed their fists against the prison, but could not break through.

Young Gennai approached them cautiously, standing three feet away from the border of the Force wall. Without warning, he stretched out his hand and eleven blue streams came out of the Dark Jedi and into him. They wobbled a little, but didn't pass out.

Young Gennai then opened a portal behind him and out came Noriko. She looked around in awe of her surroundings. Her awestruck expression turned to fear when she saw the other Dark Jedi boxed inside the cage like cattle. Even so, she followed orders when told to join the others.

"Don't worry, everyone. This is just a dream. You're all asleep right now," said Gennai. He pulled a small Nikon camera out of his pocket and held it up in front of the children. "If you just look here and wait three seconds, you will all soon wake up in your beds and forget about what happened. Ready? One…two…three."

A bright white light erupted from the camera's flasher. The former Dark Jedi looked around in a daze, unable to remember anything that had happened from the past couple of days. With that taken care of, Young Gennai opened portals for all of them to go through.

"When you walk through these portals, you'll wake up," he told them. "Go home."

The children nodded and walked into the portals until the last of them had finally left.

Yolei saw something strange out the corner of her eyes: A large metallic figure floating in the sky. Before she could get a good look, a portal opened in the black sky and the figure flew into it.

"What was that?" she exclaimed.

"What was what?" Young Gennai asked. Everyone else turned to look at her too.

"I just saw something fly into a portal." Yolei pointed to where she saw it. "There."

The other Jedi looked in the direction she was pointing, but didn't see any trace of a portal. For a second, they thought she was simply making it up. Then a dark energy made its presence known to them. Goosebumps dotted their arms.

"Wait a second. Didn't Oikawa say he met someone that taught him in the ways of the Force?" Ken said. "What if…there's something else lurking around that we don't know about?"

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," replied Davis. "Besides, it could have just been some nutso Star Wars fan he ran into."

"I don't think it was human."

Before anyone could speculate further, Young Gennai brought order back to the gathering.

"I think Ken has a point," he said. "Something strange has been brewing somewhere in the Digital World the last couple of months. I promise that I will do everything I can to help investigate it. Whatever this thing you saw was, it might be something my previous life knows about."

"I'll help too, if you don't mind, Gennai," Izzy chimed in.

Young Gennai nodded. "Thank you, but I think this is something that the younger Jedi can handle themselves. Now that they have been trained and have become full Destined Jedi, especially with the Chosen One returning to us, you all have done your job."

Matt's face twisted in confusion. "So that's it?" he asked, hurt by what the young sage had said. "We're done? We're no longer useful to you?"

"That's not what I was saying," Young Gennai placated, hoping to keep the peace. "What I'm saying is that since the younger six are still connected to the Force, the task of defending the Digital World falls upon them now. If trouble ever arises, however, and they cannot come to our aid, you older kids will be called upon to defend our worlds again."

Matt looked at Tai, who then looked at Sora, and so on. None of them were happy with the idea that they were the fallback choice after everything they had done for the Digital World. They were no longer Force users, however, so it would not do any good. It made sense that the younger Jedi be given the first option. Reluctantly, they nodded.

"Okay," Tai said.

"Good. Now, your mission is complete." A sneaky, lecherous grin shot up his face. "Which means it's time to party!"

Out of nowhere, Young Gennai pulled out a tray of brownies and two bottles of red wine. A black foam "Happy New Year" hat appeared on his head, and a party blower was planted between his teeth. He blew on it.

"Wine and special brownies, anyone?"

"NO!" The Jedi shouted in united annoyance.

Young Gennai curled his lower lip over his top one and huffed. "Fine," he pouted. He shooed them away with his hand ."Then go on and get out of here, you little heathens. You've done your job."

* * *

**That's the end...Almost. Go on over to the epilogue for the true finale, which is literally explosive. I'll see you on over there. **


	44. Epilogue

**Those of you that came straight here when you clicked on the skip to this chapter: Go back and read chapter 43 first and then come back here. I'm telling you to do it. Go on. Go! **

**Those of you that came after reading chapter 43: Enjoy the finale.**

* * *

"Sorry I'm late!" Davis cried as he ran out to join the Destined Jedi on the wooden walkway. He panted like a dog as he bent over his knees to catch his breath. He had run all the way from his apartment.

The gang had all decided to ring in the New Year at Decks in Odaiba. From where they stood, they had a spectacular view of the Rainbow Bridge and the impending fireworks show. There was a half hour to go before it was officially 2003. Everyone was happy to spend time together after emerging victorious in an eight-month war they had fought tirelessly to win.

Yolei rolled her eyes. "Lucky you. We were about to ask that they start the fireworks show without you, Davis," she teased.

Ken chuckled beside her.

Davis pouted. "That's not funny, Yolei. If you must know, my dumb sister thought she was my parole officer. She drilled me on where I was going; what I'd be doing; what time I'd be back; and whether or not Joe would be there."

Joe's face paled. After the other night, he wanted nothing to do with that crazy burgundy-haired girl. She was too insane for him.

"Please tell me you didn't say I'd be here," he begged.

Davis flashed him his goofy grin and a thumb's up. "Don't worry, dude. I've got your back."

Everyone gathered around laughed. Joe's face burned bright red, but chuckled along with them. A flash interrupted them causing all to turn to find Kari, who lowered her camera. The laughter resumed, with the Jedi of Light joining in with them.

* * *

Matt leaned over the railing beside Tai and Izzy, carrying a can of Coke in his hand. The two smiled at him and carried on their conversation. Something still bothered the blonde that he couldn't sit quietly.

"Hey, guys. I just thought of something," he said. "Do you remember when Force Ghost Gennai told us about that backup option Jedi? I can't get it out of my head."

"I don't remember him saying something about it," Tai replied, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. "You sure he said that?"

"That's because he was about to when Wizardmon interrupted him," Izzy explained.

Matt's frowned, nodding his head. "You heard it too then, Izzy?"

Izzy nodded. "Yes. It wasn't that hard to overhear. Plus the way Wizardmon cut him off told me that was something he didn't want us to know yet."

"Then who is it?"

The three boys scratched their chins, trying to think of possible ideas of who it could be. They quickly found that they did not have a single clue. Whoever this mysterious backup Jedi was, it was obvious that Gennai and Homeostasis went to painstaking lengths to keep their identity a secret.

Ken overheard their conversation and decided to join in with some theories of his own.

"Young Gennai actually told us when we finished our task in the forest that this other Jedi was also supposed to be a replacement Chosen One in case I didn't turn away from the darkness," he said. "Since I did, however, Homeostasis decided it was better just to have it be twelve Destined Jedi."

Izzy was even more intrigued. A potential thirteenth Destined Jedi on the same power level as Ken? How come this Jedi never revealed themselves before? They really could have used them this time, or even last time. Maybe there was a way they could find out.

"What if we reach out to this thirteenth Destined Jedi and see if we can convince them to join us?" Tai suggested. "It's better than running into the possible scenario of them becoming another Digimon Emperor."

"That's a good idea, Tai," Ken nodded in agreement, frightened by the idea of someone else falling into darkness the way he had after being rejected as a Destined Jedi. "But where do we start?"

"I have an idea!" Davis exclaimed, joining his friends. "How about I reach out to them to see whether they have good vibes around them?"

The other four looked at each other. It didn't sound like a bad idea, and worth a try. They shrugged, giving Davis their permission. The Jedi of Courage and Friendship smiled and clasped his hands together, reaching out far beyond the boundaries of Tokyo for any traces of Force energy.

Davis could not find a specific person to lock on to, but he did sense something that made him feel uneasy. Somewhere, something was building. And it did not seem good. He opened his eyes, stopping the scan.

"What did you find, Davis?" Ken asked, concerned about the way Davis snapped out of his meditation.

"I don't know," Davis replied. "But I have a bad feeling about this. Darkness is out there somewhere."

Ken reached out as well, only to have the same results. He shook his head, confirming what Davis felt. "Same. That's not the only thing that we should all be concerned about. Remember the prophecy?"

Tai squinted his eyes trying to follow along. "Yeah. What about it? We found the snake and took it out."

"Yes, we did, but killing Oikawa was only a small portion of it. Why doesn't that line up with the prophecy?"

The remaining eyes widened when they recounted the prophecy:

_Only kindness will restore balance twice by destroying the snake in the garden and ending a war without swords. _

_The Darkness will try to destroy the Light, but only by purifying both ends can peace be restored._

Matt said what they all thought. "Cody killed Oikawa with his lightsaber, and as far as we know nothing was purified. I bet a million to one that mysterious Digimon Yolei spotted has something to do with this."

"Then I'll do what I can to –" Izzy then stopped himself when he realized what he was about to say. It was so automatic that he forgot where he and the other older former Jedi now stood. He blushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, guys. My bad. That's your mission now."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the once joyous, lighthearted atmosphere. Tai sadly looked down at the wooden planks under his feet.

Matt cursed under his breath. "This sucks," he mumbled. "Being treated like chopped liver after all we've done. We could help you guys."

"I don't like it either, Matt," Tai said, patting him on the back. "But Davis is more than capable of leading this group himself. I'm sure they'll do just fine with him as their leader."

Davis beamed at the praise, but there was an underlying sadness in his expression. As well as a frustration and anger toward the situation.

"That's bull," he vented. "Homeostasis can do whatever it wants, but you guys will always be Destined Jedi. Without you, we would not be where we are today. I wouldn't be the leader I am without you, Tai."

Warmth spread through Tai's heart. A grateful smile sprang up his face as he wrapped Davis in a headlock.

"But you will always be the little kid who followed me around like a lost puppy to me, Davis," he snickered, pressing his knuckles into the boy's skull. Davis laughed through the pain.

Ken laughed with them, then smiled at Izzy. "We'd be honored to have you help us on our quest to discover this mysterious evil and the rest of the prophecy, Izzy," he said. "You do your part, and we will too. How about it?"

The former Jedi of Knowledge was caught off guard by the request. After the initial shock wore off, it was replaced with a sense of joy and pride. For someone as smart as Ken, who could probably do it by himself, to ask someone like him to help him was an honor Izzy could not believe. He smiled with pride and nodded his head.

"I would be honored to," he replied.

"Ken!"

The Jedi of Kindness jumped in surprise as an arm wrapped around his shoulder. He quickly settled down when he saw it was Yolei.

"Come on. Let's talk." The lavender-haired Jedi then pulled him away from his friends. She stopped before they reached the end of the walkway. "I have something I want to give you."

"What is it?" Ken asked.

Yolei kept her eyes locked on his scar. It had started to fade away over these past two months, but there was still a pale red line cutting through the right side of his face like a river.

"As a New Years present, how about the chance to start off fresh?" she said. "I'll heal that scar of yours for you so that you don't have to wear it as a reminder of your past pain. You're not the Emperor anymore; you're the Chosen One. You should reflect that by getting rid of the scar."

Ken lightly touched his face and traced his fingers along the scar. The offer was tempting. Very tempting. The scar was the first thing he saw every time he woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror. Always a reminder of all his past transgressions and the horrible things he had done. He never wanted to go down that path again. Then he realized: That's why he should keep it.

"Thanks, Yolei, but I'd like to keep it if that's okay," he replied.

Yolei's eyes widened, surprised by the refusal. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes. Though I have improved thanks to all of your guys' help, the Emperor will always be ready to take control of me if I slip. My fight with Noriko showed me that. I'd like to keep the scar as a reminder to always stay on the right path and keep the darkness away when it tries to take hold of me."

The Jedi of Love and Sincerity bit her lip in thought. She could understand that reasoning. It made sense to her. She smiled with a light nod of her head.

"Okay," she said. "You look hotter with the scar anyway."

Her cheeks blushed a deep red. She didn't mean to say that out loud! Yolei quickly stumbled to try and recover some of her dignity.

"I mean…not that I'm saying you're hot – I mean, you're dreamy!" Yolei wanted to run and hide somewhere. She was so embarrassed; practically digging her own grave at this point. "I mean, you don't need a scar to be cute. I've always thought you were cute. I mean–"

"It's all right," Ken said as he grabbed her by the shoulders to silence her. They shared an awkward laugh, their faces making them look like two tomatoes, until he added, "Yolei, I know that everyone has forgiven me for everything I had done before denouncing the dark side, but I haven't. I want to say that I'm sorry for kidnapping you that one time."

Yolei brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "It's in the past, Ken! You're not that person any more," she said.

The twelve-year-old girl tilted her head back to look up at the night sky. The stars twinkled above hypnotically. It was rare to see stars in a place like Tokyo, but it was a regular occurrence in Odaiba. The absence of many lights and buildings compared to across the bay made it easier to stargaze.

"Do you know the best part about the New Year?" she asked. "It's a physical reminder to start fresh again, just like your scar is that physical reminder for you." Yolei then tilted her head back down to smile at Ken again. "Not to mention the fireworks are pretty to look at."

Ken felt like two stones inside his chest collided and produced a spark that traveled down into his chest. His heart fluttered when he noticed how pretty Yolei looked in the moonlight. What was this feeling he was experiencing? He didn't understand. For all the talk of him being a genius, Ken was not as well versed in the study of human emotions. What was this feeling?

Yolei snapped him out of his thoughts with a joyous exclamation of, "I'm going to Asakusa with my family tomorrow! Hopefully I get a good fortune for next year. I'm feeling pretty lucky after what we did today!" she sang until an idea popped into her head. She clasped her hands together and pleaded with joy, "Want to come?"

Ken shrugged. "Sure. What do we do?"

"What do you mean? Same thing that most families do at shrine on New Year's Day." Yolei replied, confused. Then it hit her. She gasped. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You mean, you and your family have never gone to a shrine or temple on New Year's Day?"

Ken shook his head. "No. We've never been the type of people that do that. We're pretty atypical when it comes to your normal Japanese family traditions," he said. "We always just stay home to avoid the crowds and start the year off with our resolutions."

"Then that does it. You're going to start the year off by doing something you've never done before. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Have your yukata ready."

Yolei then swiped Kari's camera from her and pointed it towards her and Ken before he had time to register what was happening.

"Selfie!" she cried, taking the picture.

More sparks multiplied from those stones in his chest, creating a blazing fire. She really was pretty, wasn't she? The prettiest girl wanted to spend time with _him_, someone who had a beast suppressed inside, and looked past everything. Whatever his fortune was the next morning, it would never beat this moment in time. 2003 was looking better every minute.

* * *

Everything went black for Izzy as someone wrapped their hands over his eyes. The night sky disappeared.

"Who's doing that?" he said.

A familiar giggle tickled his ear. "Guess who."

That voice. Blush flooded Izzy's face until there was no difference between where his face ended and his hair began.

"Hi, Mimi."

Mimi took her hands off his face and leaned over the railing beside him. The buoyant smile on her face was so contagious that Izzy couldn't help but smile too. She reached into her bag for something.

"I have something for you," she said as her hand emerged a second later with a melon bread from 7-Eleven. "You should have this. You've been losing too much weight from all the stress of the last few days."

"No thanks," he politely declined, but Mimi was not having it.

"No. I _insist_." She shoved the package into his hands. "Eat it. Someone has to take care of you if you won't take care of yourself."

Izzy huffed with annoyance, but gave in and opened the package. It was better to just go along with it than tire himself out trying to argue with Mimi. The girl was a master arguer. She knew every single way to drive you crazy until you finally gave up. He took a bite of the sweet bread. It was then he realized that he had skipped out on lunch and dinner that day.

"This is the first thing I've eaten since breakfast," he said, enjoying the sweet taste.

"What?!" Mimi shrieked. "Izzy! You need to take better care of yourself!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know," he relented with a sheepish grin.

"Great! So when should I pencil you in?"

Izzy choked on his bite. Pencil him in? What did that mean? He coughed and pounded his chest to force the piece back into his mouth. A small bit of vomit came along with it, filling his oral cavity with the disgusting taste. He put that back down before swallowing the piece of bread through the right pipe.

"You okay?" Mimi asked, slapping his back alarmed.

He nodded after taking a deep breath. "Yeah. What are you talking about?"

Seeing that Izzy had caught his bearings, she clarified.

"Izzy, I can't keep showing up randomly. I have to know how to fit in shopping days when there are sales." Mimi adjusted her blouse and fluffed her hot pink hair before smiling sincerely at him. "Someone needs to look after you, and from what I've seen you function better under a set schedule. Tell me what days you want me to come over to clean up."

Izzy was shocked by the offer, but also touched by it. It was nice to know how much Mimi cared about him. Even so, he wouldn't go so far as to beg for her services.

"Mimi, I don't need a maid," he said.

"Hey! Let's get this straight. That's right. I'm not your maid. You're going to start keeping your room cleaner. It won't get messier just because I'm coming over to help, alright?"

Izzy blushed. "Of course."

His blush got worse when Mimi hugged him next. Her body felt warm against him, sparking feelings that he had never felt before. Butterflies swarmed around in his stomach just like the last time she was over when he and Tai were discussing the prophecy. It felt like his head was going to explode from all the feelings building up like lava pushing against the peak of the volcano before erupting.

"It's the New Year. Let's start it off right with a cleaner room and taking better care of ourselves," Mimi whispered in his ear. "Does that sound good?"

Izzy smiled as he finally let all his inhibitions go. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around the Jedi of Sincerity.

"I'd like that," he whispered back. "How do Mondays and Thursdays sound?"

"It's a deal!" Mimi squeezed him one last time before letting go. She looked over at Yolei and shouted, "Hey! Throw that camera over here!"

The lavender-haired girl nodded and carefully tossed the Nikon camera to her. Mimi spun Izzy around as she pointed the front of the camera towards them. Before she could snap the picture, she had one last request for him.

"Throw in that you have to hang with me every Saturday night. No exceptions."

"What?!" Izzy exclaimed, the butterflies tickling his insides even more. But it was too late. Mimi planted her lips on his cheek and took the picture before he could say anything else.

* * *

"Why did you have to do that song? You know I hate that song," TK laughed as he and Kari teased each other about their song selection during karaoke earlier in the night.

"I know what I like, and I won't apologize for it," Kari shot back before continuing to laugh with TK. "At least I didn't do yours. It is so typical."

"Shut up!"

Their laughter soon died down as the two gazed at the Rainbow Bridge in silence. TK stole a glance over at Kari. His face flushed red. He turned back to look at the bridge before Kari noticed. Thankfully, she didn't.

TK hesitantly lifted his arm and inched it towards her shoulders. Sparks flew through his entire arm as it rested around Kari's shoulders. The Jedi of Light jumped slightly, not expecting it, but settled in with a warm and content smile.

Kari opened her mouth to say something, but the words never came out as Davis came strutting over to them. He stopped and frowned at the sight of TK having his arm around Kari, but didn't say anything about it.

"Hey, guys. Did ya make any New Year's resolutions?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation friendly.

TK smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I've got everything I need," he said as he gazed down at Kari.

"I have one!" the Jedi of Light exclaimed.

"What is it?" TK and Davis asked.

Kari looked around and saw Mimi using her camera to take pictures of everyone. She waved as the Jedi of Sincerity turned to look at her, signaling that she wanted the camera.

Mimi nodded and tossed the camera, which was then snagged out of the air by Sora. Tai took it from her and made a goofy face standing next to Sora as he took a picture of them both. Kari giggled. Her brother then threw the camera underhand to her and she caught it.

With her camera back in her possession, Kari left TK's side and stood next to Davis while holding up a peace sign. Davis quickly realized what she was doing and posed like Rock Lee in the Naruto manga. TK laughed.

"My resolution is to take more pictures of all my friends," Kari said before snapping the picture. "I don't have as many of us as I would like."

"Then let's do it," Davis said as he took the camera from her.

He puckered his lips and closed in on her cheek. Kari anticipated it, however, and ducked her head down. Davis was unaware as he felt his lips hit someone's cheek. The camera flash slammed against his eyelids as he took the picture.

When he opened his eyes, Davis realized who he had really kissed. And it wasn't Kari. TK had leaned over Kari and took the kiss for her. The Jedi of Courage and Friendship screamed in horror and disgust. He stuck his tongue out and wiped it with his hands to get rid of the taste of TK's cheek. The Jedi of Light and Hope doubled over in hysterical laughter. The rest of their friends looked over and laughed with them.

"That ain't right!" Davis shrieked, spitting out whatever taste lingered in his mouth. "That ain't right, dude!"

TK smirked teasingly. "Whoa, I didn't know you felt that way about me, Davis."

The Jedi of Courage and Friendship glared at him and muttered curses under his breath. He slammed the camera into Kari's hands before stomping off to a different part of the walkway.

"Oh, Davis. Come back. Don't be such a drama queen." Kari laughed. She gave the camera to Cody and grabbed Davis' arm to stop him from going any further. A flirtatious smile played on her lips. "Come on. Just one more? No tricks."

Davis' anger vanished the second he saw the smile on her face. Blush flooded all over his cheeks and he stuttered a barely coherent agreement. Kari wrapped her arm around his shoulder and they posed for a picture.

"Okay, ready?" Cody said, adjusting the camera.

The two nodded.

"One."

Kari lifted her arm and put two fingers up behind Davis' head so they looked like bunny ears. He had no idea it just happened.

"Two."

Kari bit her tongue to suppress any giggles that threatened to come out.

"Three."

_FLASH! _

Cody smiled and handed the camera back to Kari. Davis left her side and started gushing to Cody about how awesome it was to actually have a cute picture with Kari.

'_Yeah. Real cute alright,' _Kari giggled to herself. She turned and walked back to TK.

The blonde's face was etched in a frown as he glared at Davis, but shrugged it away. Kari smiled at him and pointed the camera towards them.

"Ready?" she asked, then took the picture before he could say anything.

"One more," the blonde grinned and took the camera from her, keeping it pointed at them, and snapped a better photo of them.

Kari happily complied.

"Hey," TK said. "Before Davis came, it looked like you wanted to say something. What was it?" he asked.

A shy smile graced Kari's features as she took TK's hand in hers. The blonde's face turned red for what felt like the millionth time that day. He turned his face away to hide it. The Jedi of Light carefully thought of what to say, but was surprised at how easy it seemed to come.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad you showed up earlier and we did karaoke," she said. "I have my best friend back, and that, um," she swallowed a knot in her throat and looked up with eyes shining brightly. "I really missed you. I really missed _us_ together."

TK couldn't describe how he felt in the moment. It was such a conundrum of emotions that he could not pin down one single definitive emotion. These were words he didn't know that he needed to hear, but was glad to receive them. He would just say he felt…_happy. _Happy that Kari no longer was hesitant to be around him. Happy that she wanted them to be best friends again. He just felt happy.

TK lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed the backside of it.

"I promise, I've missed you more," he teased.

Kari blushed and the two stared longingly at each other, unsure of what else to say. Now that everything they wanted to say was off their chests, they didn't know where to take this conversation. So instead, they turned and leaned on the railing to look out at the Rainbow Bridge again.

Five minutes until midnight. Five minutes left of 2002.

TK reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulders again. This time, he pulled her in close to him. This was how he would spend the last five minutes of the year: Feeling Kari's warmth closely beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder. There was nothing better in the world.

"I love ya. You know that?" he said, trying to mask it as more of a friendly statement than what it really was: A declaration. There. He said it.

"Yeah. I love ya too," she replied, but not in the way TK had hoped.

It didn't bother him though. He was just content with the progress they had made so far. Maybe things would get further, and maybe, just maybe, she would finally see him the way he wanted her to. He couldn't wait for 2003 to come.

* * *

Sora and Tai were thankful to finally be free of their friends and have some peace and quiet all to themselves. They stood somewhere further down the walkway away from everyone else, watching the night sky be reflected in Tokyo Bay.

Stealthily, Tai wrapped his arm around Sora's waist to pull her close to him, but was greeted with a smack.

"Ow!" he whined. "Sora!"

"Not here, Tai," Sora said sternly.

"But I wanted to spend the last minutes of the year holding my girlfriend. You're so mean!"

Sora bit her lip, feeling guilty and conflicted. As tempting as it was to give in, she stayed strong.

"Not even a kiss?" Tai whimpered, putting on his best puppy dog eyes. "Just one little kiss?"

"I-I don't know."

"It's New Year's Eve. It's the perfect time to tell everyone." Tai smiled smugly. "Plus, we can start the year off right with that kiss."

Sora tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and squeezed her forearm nervously. "It's not that I don't want to, but the attention that we're going to get…" she blushed furiously. "It's just not right showing so much public affection."

"Says who?"

"Says…" Sora stumbled over her words before finally balancing herself to speak. "Politeness! Society! That's who!"

Tai inched closer, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on his girlfriend. "Sora, it's time."

"Not happening."

"Totally happening."

"Tai!"

"Sora."

"I swear, if you –"

Tai grinned that famous smile of his, and without warning tickled her. She squealed while trying to squirm away, but he held on tight until she was breathless and begging for Tai to stop in between laughs. Her laugh. It was his weakness and always magically made Tai pull her close. Acting on instinct as many times before, his arm draped across her shoulders and brought her close. Their lips were just mere inches apart.

Neither noticed that Mimi was looking in their direction after taking a picture of Joe. The former Jedi of Sincerity noticed their mannerisms and nearly dropped the camera in shock.

"_**OH MY GOSH! NO WAY!**_" she squealed.

The couple across the way jumped out of their skin at the abruptness of the scream. The gig was up. Their little secret was not so secret anymore.

Mimi's scream also drew everyone else's attention to her. Matt grumbled to himself, folding his arms across his chest still hurt from the rejection. Kari's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"Are you two dating?" Mimi shouted, bouncing with excitement. "AREYOUAREYOUAREYOU?"

Tai and Sora looked at each other, both at a loss for words. Sora's face was as red as her hair as she silently pleaded for Tai to do something. He was embarrassed more from being called out, however, and did nothing. His throat constricted to restrain any words from forming.

"Well, uh…" he choked, turning his attention back to Sora. One look at her and he was put at ease. Their friends no longer existed; it was just him and her.

"What do you think? How about it?" he chuckled nervously to Mimi.

"TEN! NINE! EIGHT!" A crowd gathered around the kids on the wooden walkway, waiting for the spectacular view as they all counted down.

Tai gave Sora his famous grin and took her face in his hands.

"SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR!"

He leaned forward, puckering his lips as they got closer and closer to each other.

"THREE!"

At the 10-yard line.

"TWO!"

The 5-yard line.

"ONE!"

Touchdown.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A multitude of fireworks exploded in the air as the other Destined Jedi shouted with joy watching this unexpected new development with their two friends. 2003 was shaping up to be full of surprises.

Unfortunately, after a period of peace, darkness always find a way to invade and destroy.

* * *

**That's all folks. That's the end. After eleven months, we finally have reached the end. I never in my wildest dreams imagined how popular this story would become. Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate all the support, encouragement, reviews, and kind words you all have given me over this past year. You are the reason why writing fanfiction for you guys is so awesome. I really mean it. Thank you. **

**Whether or not this tops 02 by a mile or what have you, I will leave that up to you guys in the reviews. Let me hear every last thought you have about this story before we move on. **

**Instead of the four month break I took between The Destined Jedi and this story, I will be back next week. I hope all or most of you will be around for the third installment of this series: Revenge of the Infected. I am so excited to share that story with you guys because I think it is the version of Tri we didn't know we needed. That is how confident I am that the story is going to be great. I hope most of you will think so too. **

**Before we get there though, it is time to say goodbye. **

_**So long**_

_**Farewell**_

_**To you, my friends**_

_**Goodbye, for now**_

_**Until we meet again**_


End file.
